Welcomed With Love
by Bailieboro
Summary: Arthur was thrilled, Gaius was entranced and Merlin? Well...Merlin was just Merlin! Sequel to Rejected By Royalty
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1 :** **BY THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED **

Gaius had sometimes wondered how Arthur and Merlin would get on. They had little in common, one a crown prince, the other a villager albeit a powerful sorcerer but a villager nonetheless.

They seemed to pick up as if the intervening years were nothing more than ten seconds.

"I tried to follow you but your mother and you disappeared so quickly into the crowd. I came back and told Gaius but he was hopeless, telling me he didn't know who you were and all I got for the name of your village was EA."

Gaius laughed, "...and he bugged everyone who would listen, about a village called that and drew a blank wherever he went, until one day by accident last year after visiting you and Hunith, I let it slip that I'd be to Ealdor. I thought he was going to jump down my throat so I tried to play it down."

"And, I always had the distinct feeling that you knew a lot more than you were letting on. Shame on you Gaius...as you did!"

Arthur turned and suddenly became shy, which for him was a new emotion. "Welcome to Camelot, Merlin, I hope you will like it here and that Gaius will be the kindest master around and that I will be able to see sometimes when you are not busy."

His heart was doing strange things again. He looked down afraid that Merlin and Gaius would be able to see his confusion.

Gaius said, "I promise to give him enough time off so you can show him around if that is what he wants."

Merlin grinned, "Well, if the Crown Prince would lower himself to give me a guided tour of his castle, I would be silly to refuse, wouldn't I?"

Gaius burst out laughing and said, "Don't talk to Arthur about guided tours as they've caused him grief in the past. Anyway, Arthur, shouldn't you be somewhere right now?"

Arthur suddenly became princely again, "Getting reading for supper with the king." He turned to Merlin and said, "Finally, you came back... Good Night Gaius and I'm glad you have someone to help you." ...and with that, he was gone.

* * *

><p>One day in early December, during lunch, there was a tap on Arthur's chamber doors, Daniel answered it and Arthur called, "Who is it Daniel?"<p>

"Sire, it's Sir Gielbert."

Arthur who was alone, said, "Come in, Gielbert, Daniel will get a goblet for you." Sir Gielbert walked in with a missive in his hand. His face was serious and Arthur said, "Anything, wrong?"

"Not really, I was asked to deliver this." His downcast eyes warned Arthur that it might not be to his liking.

Arthur stood up and took the missive, opened it and read words which made him want to yell from the turrets.

'Sire,  
>I accept the honour of being your Knight Mentor.<br>Sir Leon of Berwick.'

Arthur spun on Gielbert who was grinning ear to ear, "You knew! That was a mean trick."

"He only told me just now, when he gave me the note. He asked me to give it to you in private. The other squires will not be told until they are assembled this afternoon."

"When will I see him to thank him?"

"He should be at the assembly with the other knight mentors." Gielbert lifted his goblet, "Congratulations, Arthur, you deserve to have a mentor of such high calibre."

"Thank you for helping me with the letter and the alternates. I'm off to see Gaius. If anyone needs me, Daniel, you can send a squire!"

"Yes, Sire."

Gaius was suitably impressed as was Merlin who knew whom Sir Leon was. Gaius smiled to himself as Leon had shown him Arthur's letter, requesting him and then repeating his name as both of his alternates. He was glad, Leon had accepted as he was brave, trustworthy and level headed, qualities which Arthur could well emulate. It was a request which any knight would have been thrilled to receive, the honour of being the Knight Mentor to a Crown Prince, something which had not yet occurred in Camelot.

Arthur said, "Now that I have a mentor, I hope it means that the age discrepancy is immaterial."

* * *

><p>Winter once again reared its cruel head and the castle was battered with freezing rain and high winds with everyone waiting for a break in the weather. It finally came and the younger squires were released from the castle to frolic in the snow and get rid of all their pent up energy. Merlin had enjoyed the luxury of Gaius's warm room. With his extra clothing supplied by Gaius, had quite happily braved the worse of the weather to deliver medications to the sick in the lower town. He hoped that his mother in Ealdor was faring as well.<p>

Arthur had seen him one day crossing the courtyard, head down into the wind and wanted to open the window and yell to him to join him in his chambers when he was finished but all of a sudden he had felt unsure of making such a request. Gaius was busy and he couldn't really allow Merlin time off to socialize even with the prince.

Once the snow had gone and the training fields were passable. Training resumed in earnest. Time was allocated for training with mentors as well as private time for discussions and even criticism of the squire's attitude or whatever was needed to ensure that the candidate who would present himself to make the vigil realised the importance and responsibility of being a knight of Camelot.

Leon adjusted his discussions to suit a knight whose greater role was of a future king. He did not tiptoe around facts. It was possible that one day, Arthur as king would demote one of the squires with whom he had spent seven years, should said knight disgrace the name of Camelot or fail to uphold the code of chivalry. He must be impartial to all. He could be cordial and friendly to all but not have any favourites.

"What about Gielbert and Romney?"

"They are two exceptions but should either of them disgrace their vows, you would be expected to deal with them harshly, maybe in the circumstances even more harshly than with the others. Growing up so closely with you and having so much contact with a prince, they should have an even greater understanding of the requirements of knights and the responsibilities of nobility."

Arthur knew that knight mentor, was one position which he would never be asked to consider. He felt that being a knight would be serious and fun, being a king, not so much. Hopefully, his father would reign for many more years, allowing him to enjoy being a knight of Camelot.

Time seemed to pass so fast. Meetings and training occupied ever hour of his day. He sometimes saw Gaius in the Council Chamber when the king wanted to speak to him. He always managed to tell Gaius to say hello to Merlin. He also talked to him if he met him when they were alone or he was with Spenser. Funnily, Spenser really liked Merlin and the two of them chattered quite happily. Arthur used to envy Spenser's ease in talking to him as the same situation seemed to make Arthur tongue-tied especially if Merlin looked at him.

Interesting things were happening. One day, all the squires were escorted by a squire master to the housekeeper's quarters. There were met by the castle tailor, his assistants and some seamstresses with tapes and measures. Suddenly, they realised that were to be measured for their knight's uniforms and their red cloaks. The excitement was palpable. The squire master asked Arthur to stand to one side explaining that he would be measured in the privacy of his own chambers.

He didn't mind, for he was able to see the faces of his fellow squires as they were measured for their full length white tunic worn for the vigil. They were then again poked and prodded as they were measured for their red over tunic which they would wear for the investiture ceremony and then finally the much desired red cloak, a symbol of knighthood. There were also extra measurements taken for their brown hose and black boots.

It was a day, which few of them would forget. The Chamberlain also permitted each one including Arthur to put a red cloak around their shoulders before they were sent back to their quarters. The babble of noise as they went through the corridors was unbelievable but for once the squire master ignored it, probably remembering fondly the day he had been measured.

As the weather cleared, training had resumed in earnest. But always, predominating all thoughts was the realization that this was going to be their final months as squires.

* * *

><p>Arthur still dined regularly with the king and Uther one day said out of the blue, "Knights are invested at twenty-one." There was a pause before he continued, "I realise that you will be three months shy of that age. It would be more suitable that you be invested with next year's seniors..."<p>

His son's face fell, he felt really sick. As he had not heard anything, he had assumed that his late birth date did not matter. After all, the court tailor had arrived at his chambers with his assistants and he had been measured. His clothes must have already been made.

"...however," continued the king, "Sir Leon, your Squire Mentor had requested that you be invested this June with the rest of your class. By the way, Arthur, I never suggested to you any particular knight as a mentor but I want to compliment you on your choice. Leon is worthy of the position."

Arthur took a deep breath, the king had made a decision; he would be invested this June. He smiled at the king, but as his father smiled back, Arthur's smile became a grin and with a sigh of relief, he said, "Thank you, Father!"

"You may go now, because you have a few people to tell and one special knight to thank. Goodnight, Arthur!"

"Good night, Sire!"

Arthur's first visit of course was to Gaius's. He knew that he would still be up. He barreled into the room practically wiping out Merlin. Funny, as he hadn't even thought that anyone would be with Gaius at this course, Merlin would be there as he lived in Arthur's old room up the little flight of stairs.

Gaius was sitting at his table mixing ingredients that gave off the most obnoxious odours. "How can you stand that, Merlin?"

"Guess, I'm used to it but it does pong, doesn't it."

"Arthur, when you have finished criticising my medications, you can tell me why you are here?"

"It's great news, Sir Leon convinced the king that I should be invested as a knight in June. That means that I will be with my fellow squires. He also complimented me on my choice of mentor. Gaius, there was no difficulty in that as Leon was the only one as far as I was concerned."

"Congratulations, your choice was a good one and an honour for Leon as well."

"He's been a good friend on so many different occasions especially with the Edmund incident." Arthur still found it hard to use the word murder as it was beyond his understanding how a seventeen year old could consciously plan and kill someone. "Over the years, I don't think that I was probably the easiest person to get along with."

Merlin said as an aside, "That's what I've been hearing."

Gaius frowned at him, he had been slowly bringing Merlin up to date on all the little happenings in Arthur's world which he felt would make it easier for the two of them to get along. Merlin's sense of humour was quite dry but Arthur sometimes could not see anything which concerned him in the negative sense as being funny.

When he turned and gave Merlin a grin, Gaius was shocked. If anyone else had said that they would have received a stare which would have practically flattened them.

Arthur replied, "Well, that's because it often takes one to know one. You must have been a real handful growing up as you still are. What did I hear about your trying to dissuade one of the kitchen staff from collected eggs as chicks are so cute and fluffy? Merlin people eat eggs surely your mother must have had hens."

Merlin shrugged and said, "Yes, but we always allowed some eggs to hatch.

"Dunderhead, you'd have to, if you wanted to eat chicken as well as eggs. Gaius, wherever did you find this man?"

Gaius wondered if it was going too far but Merlin just looked at Arthur and smiled. That smile was, Arthur's clue to leave, "Have to find Romney..."

He went into the corridor and stood against the wall. It was happening again. He would have given anything to just have pulled up a chair and sat beside Merlin all evening. He knew that Merlin had his own life and was quite busy with Gaius and he would probably have preferred relaxing and not having to entertain a prince.

* * *

><p>Three days later, Merlin tapped on Arthur's door and walked in. Arthur was as surprised as Daniel was, as he hadn't had time to say 'Entre.' He looked up and saw Merlin framed in the doorway, that look of half surprise on his face, a vial in his hand. He seemed unsure of himself, it was the first time he had come to Arthur's chambers.<p>

"Gaius told me to drop this off for you and if no one was here to put in on the table. But now, you're here and I don't know what to do with it."

Merlin looked so lost, that Arthur wanted to laugh. "Bring it here and give it to me." Arthur didn't move. He looked at Daniel motioning him to stay where he was. He watched Merlin cross the floor and stand at the table and carefully start to place it in front of him.

He couldn't stop himself but said, "No, not there, take it to the mantelpiece." Just as Merlin's hand started to rise, he said, "No, better not, how about the top of the cupboard over there?"

Merlin stopped. He turned and said clearly, "You might think that you are being amusing but I am not amused!" He placed the vial on the nearest piece of furniture which happened to be the bed. He turned to Arthur and said, "I'll tell Gaius, he can bring your medicine to you himself the next time!" Then he stalked out of the room.

Arthur stood up and said, "Merlin, no, I was fooling..." but he was gone. 'Damn!' he said to himself. If he had only peeked outside his door into the corridor he would have seen a confused young man standing dazed at the top of the stairs. "Wonder what's up with him?" He continued to Daniel.

Daniel, gave him the knowing look which he recognized from seeing it on Tilly's face when he had been annoying and not particularly funny. Arthur shrugged and said to him, "I didn't mean to annoy him, I thought I was funny..."

"Yes, Sire, but he didn't see it that way." Daniel bowed and left the room.

Gaius looked up as Merlin walked into his chambers, "What's wrong with you? You look as if someone burst your birthday balloon."

"Gaius..." he said crossing the room, he turned just before climbing his stairs and said, "...I don't think Arthur likes me!"

"Come back here. What did he do this time?"

"He made me feel stupid and in front of his manservant too. I might only come from a village but where I was raised, people didn't make fun of you unless they felt you were different. Is it that obvious that I am so different?"

"No, Merlin, you are no different than anyone here. You just have a gift which they don't. Ignore Arthur, I think he's a little unsure of himself at the moment."

"Why?"

Gaius had a feeling that strange though it seemed, Arthur was maybe in awe of Merlin. He didn't intend to discuss it. He thought quickly, "Well, he's got a lot on his mind. His investiture is coming up and he has to attend regular meetings with the king. Maybe he was having a bad day. I'll speak to him about it."

"Please don't. I'm sure I will make other acquaintances in Camelot." He walked up the stairs, into his room and stood with his back against the door. He thought, 'I was stupid to think that an eleven year old boy would be the same as a twenty year old Crown Prince.' Feeling disappointed, he got onto his cot and tried to fall asleep but his mind wouldn't rest and in the end, he stood at his window watching the moon over the lower town.

Another soul was also unable to sleep. 'Why is he so sensitive? He's only a court physician's assistant how dare he criticize what a prince had done. Who does he think he is? Stupid me, I worried and tried hard to find him for ten years.' ...and then he remembered Merlin's grin and his heart seemed to fill his chest and he said aloud, "Damn him!"

* * *

><p>The following day, Arthur was on the training grounds early and worked himself into a sweat with the stationary quintain. He took out all his anger and frustration on it until exhausted, he made his way back to his chambers to bathe and attend a meeting with Sir Leon.<p>

Two people had watched his workout that morning one was the above mentioned knight and the other was Merlin.

Sir Leon mentioned his workout and asked if every thing was alright. Was he having problems with something? Arthur assured him with a grin that if he hadn't felt right this morning, he certainly did now. They got down to reviewing the all important code and the interpretation of said code from the point of view of royalty. Respect and fairness was demanded on the part of the monarch and in return he received allegiance from his people.

Arthur was beginning to feel guilty those were the two qualities which he had ignored in dealing with Merlin last evening. "Leon, would a king ever ask forgiveness of his subjects?"

"Yes, if he had treating them unjustly, making fun of them instead of giving them respect. Why?"

"Leon, I made fun of someone in front of another person and I know that I really hurt him but I have no idea of how as Crown Prince, I start to apologise."

Leon had noticed Gaius's assistant watching Arthur from the shadows with a look of sorrow on his face. "Does he live in the castle?"

"Yes."

"Will you see him today?"

"I could..."

"Seek him out in private and tell him what you have just told me. Tell him truthfully how you feel then leave him to give him time to think over what you have said. If he accepts your apology, he will let you know the next time you see him by nodding at you or maybe even smiling. Do it today Arthur, no one likes to be hurt especially by someone they look up to."

"But I don't think he looks up to me."

"Arthur, you are the Crown Prince, everyone but the king, looks up to you!"

"And do you?"

Leon smiled and said truthfully, "Not always but most of the time!"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 : THE LOST LIBRARY**

Familiarising himself with the layout of the castle, Merlin had made some interesting discoveries and learned secrets that shouldn't be repeated. How he arrived at these places he wasn't too sure and he wasn't always too clear on how to get back.

One day, Gaius sent him on a simple errand, or so he thought, to return some books to the library.

He said to him, "It's on this level but right across the castle, go up two flights, turn right, continue the whole length of the corridor, then two lefts and you will be in a main hallway with a magnificent stair case, down one flight, another right and down two more flights and you are there. Would you like me to repeat that?"

"Gaius, the building hasn't been evacuated, if I get lost, I'll ask directions."

"Ask, Sir Geoffrey or his assistant Sir Martin for the two books on this piece of paper and return as soon as possible. Understood?"

"Right!" and with a wave of his free fingers as he held a pile on books to his chest, the intrepid explorer set out.

He was sure he had gone up two flights, down three flights, two right turns and two left turns but if there was a library anywhere down here, he couldn't find it. Not only that but for the last ten minutes, he had seen no one from whom he could ask directions.

The books were getting heavy and his fingers were cramping. He stopped, put the books on a chest in the hallway and straightened his back and then raised his arms as high as he could. He then lowered them giving himself a shake like a dog and decided that he had better try again to find the illusive library.

Merlin's internal compass was not working and he was lost. He was sure that he saw light at the end of the corridor and picking up the books headed off in that direction. He heard voices and breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned a corner and found himself on a landing halfway down a flight of stairs. He looked over the balustrade and saw a group of ten guards sitting below. Gaius had given him a general tour of the castle and had pointed out various areas and mentioned that there were dungeons and cells downstairs for the prisoners. He shouldn't have ended up anywhere near the dungeons. Obviously, he'd gone the wrong way.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he decided to quietly retrace his steps on the chances that the other end of the corridor would have friendly looking inhabitants.

He had reached the top of the stairs and was turning into the corridor when he heard his name being called. He stopped and looked around. No one was there. Again he heard his name and the person saying, "At last...Mehr..linn!"

Spooked, he hightailed it down the corridor and ahead of him spied a maidservant with a huge basket of laundry.

"Hello! I think I'm lost. I'm looking for the library and I can't find it."

"It's nowhere near here, it's in the other wing of the castle. Follow me and I will take you onto the correct floor but I can't go all the way there as I have to get this load to the laundry."

Merlin looked at the books and the laundry and offered that in return for her showing him the way, he would carry her large basket if she could balance the books on top of it. The offer was accepted and the books landed up on top of the laundry.

The young girl chattered, obviously happy to be talking to someone new. "I'm Bridget and I'm ten. One day I want to be Queen Igraine's maidservant instead of one of her under-maids. I know its hard work but I can do it, I'm strong and only too willing to obey orders and work hard. Who are you?"

"I'm Merlin and I am the assistant to Gaius, you know, the Court Physician."

"Gaius is kind. He tried very hard to heal me when I was hurt but it didn't help."

"Well," said Merlin, "You seem healthy and strong now."

"Yes, I'm better now. See those stairs, well if you go down them and turn left and then go up two more flights you will be there." She looked at him and said, "Tell me again, which way you are going"

Merlin laughed, she reminded him of his Mam, when she gave him directions, she made sure he knew where he was going by having him repeat them back to her. He took the books and she took her laundry basket and parted.

Merlin turned and said, "Maybe, I'll see you again, Bridget."

"Possibly... tell Gaius, I said thank you."

"I will," and with a wave of his free fingers he started down the stairs saying to himself, 'Turn left...'

Bridget walked along the corridor and disappeared from view.

He found the library exactly where Bridget had said. He smiled. He decided there were always kind people around when you needed them. He felt so stupid, an eighteen year old who had to ask directions of a ten year old maiden.

He knocked and walked into the library. It was magnificent, he could feel the power of the books and their contents. He put Gaius's books on the table and cleared his throat. A young page peeked around the corner and said, "Sir, he's arrived."

Geoffrey whom he recognized as one of Gaius's friends came through and said, "Merlin, where have you been? Gaius sent a page to see if you were down here reading, having forgotten to go back to him." He laughed, "You got lost didn't you? Gaius said that he felt sure that you were really not listening to the directions. Anyway, I'll give you a tour of this wonderful place another day. Here are Gaius's books and Daffyd here, will walk back with you as it will be quicker that way."

Daffyd was a chatterbox and he found out all about his family and his big brother who was a knight. "Are you going to be a knight as well? Why aren't you dressed as a squire?"

Merlin explained that no, he wasn't a squire and did not aspire to be a knight. "I'm Gaius's assistant."

"Cool!" said Daffyd, "He mixes up all sorts of gross things. Maybe if I didn't want to be a knight, I'd like to be a court physician instead."

He made Merlin laugh as not unlike the little maid, he kept repeating the directions, "We climb up these stairs and then make two lefts and one more flight of stairs and then I'll have you back at Gaius's."

Merlin wondered if Arthur had been like this, a little blonde chatterbox who obviously was quite at home in the castle and capable of running messages for other people. He'd have to find out about pages.

True to form, when they reached Gaius's, the lad tapped on the door, walked in and said, "Gaius, he did get lost but no harm done as he finally turned up and Sir Geoffrey told me to being him back to you." Then he turned and smiled at Merlin saying, "Nice to meet you. I'll probably see you around the castle. Bye, Gaius."

Gaius smiled, "Bye Daffyd, keep well."

The little page laughed and left.

"So, where did you get too? Your lunch is on the table, sit down and tell me why it took you three hours to make a twenty minute maximum trip."

Merlin sat down. No wonder his legs felt tired if he'd been gone three hours.

He had a long drink of cider and laughed, "I got hopelessly lost. I ended up on a stairway and looking down I saw ten guards sitting around, so I guess, I was near the dungeons. Then I could swear that I heard someone call my name, a man by the sound of it with an educated voice." He ate some of the bread and cheese and continued after another large sip of cider. "Luckily, I backtracked and met up with the cutest little under maid. She had a huge basket of laundry and I took the laundry and she balanced the books on top. In return, she got me near the library and then took back the laundry and went down another corridor."

He ate for a while. Gaius was smiling and he had sat down again and poured himself a drink. "Luckily, you were able to find someone who knew the way."

"Yes, and she also said to thank you for the help you had given her. She said that it hadn't worked but it must have because she seems hale and hearty now. Do you remember her, her name is Bridget.?"

Gaius's goblet went spinning off the table, he looked at Merlin with shocked eyes. "How old was she?"

"She said she was ten and wanted to be Queen Igraine's maidservant. And I think she might be one day as she is very capable and well spoken. Gaius, who is Queen Igraine?"

Merlin looked at Gaius and wondered if he shouldn't encourage him to lie down. He didn't look well. Merlin walked around the table and picked up the goblet and went over to the cupboard and poured a small amount of mead. Gaius needed something a little stronger than cider. He handed it to Gaius and stood there, waiting for him to drink some of it.

"Merlin, we won't talk about this to anyone especially Arthur. Do you understand?" He took another sip of the mead.

"But, he wouldn't mind your drinking mead. My Mam says that a little is good for you if you have had a shock. Did you get a shock Gaius? Why?"

"Tell me about the girl."

"She seemed like a normal little girl who works in the castle."

"Come, sit with me and listen carefully. Twenty years ago, the king's wife Queen Igraine went into labour, she delivered a little baby boy and died. The king was heart-broken and rejected the baby and I raised him but you know all that."

"I didn't know that her name was Igraine."

Gaius took another little sip. "The king wanted someone to blame so he turned on the staff who were present when the baby was born. One little maid said that they should have called a Druid healer to help and he heard her. He had her taken to the dungeons and tortured. Her name was Bridget and she was ten years old. The king then lost interest in the whole thing and the girl was left in the dungeons. One of the senior knights was approached by the Officer of the Guards and I was asked to go and check on her. I will spare you the details but she had not only been tortured but abused. There was nothing I could do for her. The guards got her a cot and tried to get her to eat but she lived for another two weeks in the dungeons and died."

Merlin felt sick. "Gaius, that lovely little girl suffered and died because of Arthur's father's hatred of magic and all things magical. Why are you still around? Why did my Mam send me here?"

"We are safe as long as no one knows of your powers and more importantly, promise me, that you will never tell Arthur about Bridget. He has had a hard enough time building a bond with his father and this might just prove to be its undoing."

Merlin sat there shaking his head. 'Who would attack a ten year old? The more he learned about Camelot, the more he wondered if he wanted to stay, but then there was Gaius...and Arthur.'

"Come on, we need to get out in the fresh air. Let's see if we can find anything in the market that might be useful for making concoctions and salves. A few of the peddlers sometimes have herbs and things which they put on one side for me. Finish your cider and we'll be on our way."

"Don't make anything which pongs, please Gaius!"

* * *

><p>Arthur had finished training early. He had a couple of hours before supper. He walked over to the window to see what was going on in the courtyard. The lower town had been very busy because today was market day.<p>

He immediately picked out the two of them walking back across the courtyard. Merlin had a basketful of he didn't-know-what and he was in deep conversation with Gaius. He went to wave at them but realised that whatever they were talking about, was intense because neither was looking around. Merlin didn't look too happy, probably in trouble again. He shook his head and smiled.

Arthur had to talk to Merlin in private. He needed to apologise for being mean to him when he delivered the medicine. He couldn't tell him in front of Gaius so he had to get him alone.

He hated apologies. He never knew what to say. He decided that he should practice a little routine. He stood in front of his mirror and said, "Merlin, I'm sorry! No maybe not, 'Merlin I'm sorry', just, I'm sorry." Pretty obvious if they were alone that he was talking to him. And then he'd say maybe, "It was unforgivable of me to treat you in such an unseeming manner especially in face of my only just finding out that you had returned to Camelot."

'Hogwash!' he thought. 'That sounded awful. I sounded like a person trying to talk above his mental ability when pleading in the council chambers.'He wasn't getting anywhere. 'I'm hopeless, Leon made it sound so easy, feel sorry and then just say how you feel. I have to see him today as the longer I wait the harder it will get for both of us.'

Although Arthur looked for Merlin the rest of the day, he never came across him. Remembering Leon's advice in the late afternoon he went down to Gaius's to see if he was there.

Minutes before the door opened and Arthur poked his head in, Merlin had suddenly said. "Gaius, I'm going to my room. If anyone wants me, I'm not here."

"Right," said Gaius absentmindedly from the table where he was working.

Arthur walked in glanced quickly around the room and said to Gaius, "Where's Merlin?"

Gaius had already nodded with his head towards the stairs as he carefully measured something what looked to Arthur like snails' slime into a mortar. Arthur took two steps across the room to have Gaius say, "Sorry, he's not here."

Arthur stopped dead and looked straight at Gaius who shrugged his shoulders and gave a pleading look to Arthur that he not advance any further?

"What do you want with him? I can send him to your chambers when he returns if it's something important."

Arthur thought of what Leon had said, pain could be mitigated in some cases by asking for forgiveness. Not knowing if Merlin would ever want to speak to him again, he decided to make a clean breast of it and truthfully told Gaius how unfair, immature and annoying he had been yesterday when Merlin had delivered the vial. "I didn't think of him as Merlin, I had fun at his expense, made him look stupid and Daniel was there. Gaius, I was wrong. Could you ask him to come to see me in my chambers? I am dining alone this evening and would like company if he could bear to spend some time with me."

Arthur realised how easy it had been to bare his soul to Gaius but would he be able to do it while looking into Merlin's eyes? He worried that he wouldn't be able, but he was certainly going to try.

"If he doesn't want to come, I understand." Suddenly, Arthur realised that his eyes had filled with tears. He was embarrassed, what would Gaius think, a twenty year old getting emotional.

He couldn't trust himself to say anything so he just left the chambers.

Gaius continued working, he knew that unless Merlin was fast asleep he would have heard the whole conversation. He didn't intend to let on that he knew he could have heard but picked up the pestle and continued mixing finely ground dried parsley into his snail slime. He realised that Arthur was really upset, not often that he apologized to anyone but him and his closest friends.

Ten minutes later, Merlin walked down the stairs with his hair ruffled and yawning. Not the greatest acting but it stopped any discussion of what he might have heard of Artur's visit.

Looking up, Gaius said, "Oh, there you are. You had a visitor while you were asleep. Arthur wanted to know if you would like to join him for supper in his chambers. If you don't want to go, he said something about he'd understand.

"Why don't you go? You have been hanging around here nearly all day. A change of scenery will do you good. He's not a bad sort and he certainly never forgot you over all those years. Go see what he wants. You can excuse yourself if you don't want to stay. It's just that many young men would be honoured to be the guest of the Crown Prince for a private supper. Ignore that he is a prince, treat him like a person, it will do him good."

Merlin's lips parted slightly and he smiled. Gaius thought, 'You are going to break some girl's heart one day.'

Merlin thought about the invitation to supper with Arthur. He couldn't make up his mind. He had heard every word of the conversation which he had had with Gaius but he was still a little annoyed that Arthur had even considered being a smart aleck with him, in the first place. His Mam had always been strict about apologizing and never going to bed mad with someone, so he decided to let Arthur have his opportunity to say that he was sorry.

"I guess, I should go, it can't be worse than yesterday but I'm not going to treat him as a prince until he earns my respect. What time will he expect me?"

"Give him time to tidy himself up and then when my supper is delivered here, you can go up to Arthur's."

Gaius hoped that by then Arthur had got control of his emotions or whatever it was that had him so upset.

Dawdling up the stairs and along the corridor, Merlin was still amazed that he could stay indoors all day without feeling enclosed. There was so much room and space and it was comparatively warm. Sooner than he had hoped Arthur's door loomed before him. He swallowed, he'd never worried about anything before he arrived here. There was something about Arthur that he couldn't fathom but not in a threatening way more a feeling that still waters run deep.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3 : ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE**

Merlin stood still, staring at the door. He had second thoughts. Did he really want to see Arthur? He thought, 'Yes, I do.' He made up his mind, took three deep breaths and knocked on the door. It was opened by Daniel who said, "Please come in, the prince is expecting you." Then turning to Arthur he said, "Sire, I believe everything is in order. I will see you later before you retire."

"You may go, Daniel." Saying that, he walked over and said, "Merlin, please come in."

Merlin heard the door shut behind him and vaguely remembered the story of Daniel in the lions' den. What had he walked into?

He decided to take Gaius's advice and he said evenly, "Good Evening Arthur, thank you for inviting me."

Arthur walked over to stand in front of the fire and motioned to one of the chairs set close enough to keep someone warm. Merlin was sure that Arthur was slightly trembling and as he began to speak, he knew for sure that he was.

"I asked you to come tonight...to...a...aplogise...for my unkind behaviour the other night. It was wrong." He glanced at Merlin's face and then dropped his eyes again. "I was...rude and mean. I purposely tried to make you..." and here he raised his eyes and looked at Merlin.

Merlin was shocked by the amount of raw pain in them. He wanted to smile and say, 'Don't bother, worse things have happened in Ealdor,' but he remembered his mother telling him that to really accept an apology, you had to let the person say what he or she intended to say, so he waited.

"...I tried to make you look like a fool and that is the last thing that would ever enter my mind. Merlin, will you forgive me?" He turned away and brushed his arm over his face trying to clear his eyes.

Merlin waited until he turned back to him. He spoke from his heart, placing his hand on his chest, he said, "Arthur, I believe in here, that we are going to be together for a long time. We will, I know hurt each other's feelings but as long as one of us can remember to ask forgiveness, I think we could always be friends.

I was also wrong the other night. It was not correct for me to address you off handedly and to walk out on you. Gaius explained that to me. I'm not used to all this courtly rigmarole, you'll have to teach me as we go along."

Arthur walked over to the table and gestured for Merlin to join him. The meal had been left covered and when Arthur removed the covers, it was still hot and smelled delicious. Merlin couldn't help commenting, "A little different than the smells in Gaius's chambers. Sometimes, I think he mixes noxious things just to annoy me!"

Arthur looked at that Merlin boy and he realised that he would quite happily keep him with him forever in his chamber, just to look at and admire him and to see if this strange feeling in his body would last forever. One day, he intended to ask him if he felt it too but not tonight. Tonight, they would eat a meal together and catch up on their ten years absence.

They covered as much as they could but they still had many years to talk about. Arthur found out that Ealdor was poor and that Merlin lived with his mother Hunith and that his father was not in the picture. Arthur also found out that the times when he had been in Ravenswood, he was in the castle closest to Merlin's village across the border in another kingdom.

Merlin learned that Arthur had lived with Gaius from his birth until he was ten. That he really even now felt of Gaius as his father and his birth father as the king and that he loved hunting and training for battles.

Much later, there was a tap on the door and Arthur said, "Enter." Merlin who had had some wine wanted to giggle. He saw his mother daring to say that when someone knocked at their cottage door. He looked at Arthur and smiled.

Arthur smiled back and a voice said. "Sire, I can come back later if it is not convenient."

"No, Daniel, it's fine, Merlin is just going."

Arthur walked him over to the door and touched his arm briefly and said, "Be careful on the stairs!"

To which Merlin replied cheekily, "Well, at least, I am able to get into bed without any help"

Arthur said a disapproving tone, "Merlin!"

But, he was already halfway down the corridor and just turned and waved.

Daniel smiled to himself. Tilly would be interested in hearing that the prince had met his match.

Merlin smiled as he went back to Gaius's. He actually enjoyed Arthur's company. He found him a bit self-centered but figured that most princes probably were. He loved how Arthur showed his love of Gaius and credited him with saving his life. He'd laughed at hearing all the things which he remembered from sleeping in the little room which was now his. Sometimes when he spoke, he could almost hear Gaius which was understandable as he had spent so much time with him growing up.

Merlin wondered if his father had stayed around would he have been like Gaius. He secretly hoped so. Having a sorcerer to speak with was the best thing that had happened in his life so far.

Gaius looked up from his workbench as Merlin walked in, "Did you have a nice time?"

"Actually I did. I don't really understand how it happened as we are so different, he's a prince and used to all wonderful things and I'm a nobody but we got on fine. He's promised to show me his merlins. You know, Gaius, I think I just might enjoy that."

* * *

><p>Days were back to normal. Merlin working alongside Gaius, fascinated at his knowledge. Hunith was also a healer but Gaius seemed to have more flair than his mother. He loved when the two of them would pack a lunch and take time to canvass the woods choosing plants and strange things which Gaius would upon returning to his chambers prepare into some of the vilest concoctions, Merlin had ever smelled or tasted.<p>

It was a time of enchantment for both of them. Merlin completely relaxed, open to any ideas and able to speak of and discuss his magic with a person whom he not only respected but also was becoming attached to, it was as if he had known him all his life and trusted him as he did his own mother.

For Gaius these moments were perfect, he had with him a young man of magic whom he knew to be so much more powerful that he was and because of whom, he was slowly allowing all those powers which he had kept hidden and almost forgotten to resurface. This young man had brought so much into his life even in the short time he had been with him in Camelot.

Gaius also understood Merlin's passion and respect for all things great and small. Many times, they would sit quietly watching rabbits and deer with no thought to jumping up and chasing them. Salamanders fascinated him. He had no trouble finding them and they seemed to have little fear as they would freely walk over Merlin's hands.

Gaius told him about the legendary creatures, he might one day see in the forest and by far Merlin's favourite story was of the unicorn. A symbol of purity and grace, so strongly relying on these virtues that only the good were able to see it and it would allow itself to be touched only by someone pure and unsullied. The story, Gaius explained was that a person so described was surely a virgin. Merlin looked across at him and blushed, and Gaius realized that Merlin was dreaming that he could be the one to touch a unicorn.

Gaius came to realise that the young man was a kindred spirit and soon, he even forgot that Merlin was not his blood relative but only the son of a friend. He felt blessed, he had acted as ward to a wonderful young man whom he loved as a son and now along came another young man so in tune with him that he felt he was an extension of himself in spirit if not in body. Merlin made his life complete.

* * *

><p>Arthur's life was also back to normal. The final countdown towards the investiture was in affect. Hours were spent in discussions of all aspects of life in the kingdom and more particular in the merits which a good knight possessed. Training was still in effect. A knight had to be in top physical shape as at any time he might be called upon to defend not only the king but his brother knights and himself. No slacking off was accepted. They were expected to give a life time of service to their king and the people of their kingdom.<p>

Waiting, from the time as a child when he had seen his first knight, until the time when he would be knighted, had been Arthur's life. Now, something else was pulling at his mind. He could not for the life of him understand why a young court physician's assistant should have such an effect on him. He understood that as an eleven year old, there had been a void in his life and the novelty of finding someone called after his favourite falcon had been interesting, but now?

When his mind wasn't occupied with princely and future knightly thoughts, a sliver of light would introduce a thought and he would lose control slipping back to the last time he had seen that grin, those expressive eyes, those shaggy locks and the pull that they had on his very being. He's snap himself back to the present but not before that sliver would have permitted a feeling of satisfaction to waft over him.

"Arthur, could you do it?"

He was miles away. Leon looked at him and said, "You have to concentrate on the work before you. This ceremony has to be second nature to you. If for any reason, you do not feel comfortable with the idea of a twenty-four hour vigil, you have to train your mind now. Allowing free rein to your thoughts will take you away from the point of the exercise."

"No, of course I am capable of doing it but Leon what can I do to keep myself focused and stop other thoughts from intruding on my mind."

"Get rid of those thoughts completely, realise that they are of little importance to you and your life. Set your mind to contemplate solely on the requirements which will allow you to stand before the king and declare your Oath of Allegiance as a knight of the realm.

'Easier said than done, I am afraid...' thought Arthur. Why had Merlin arrived back now when there was so much at stake? Surely, it could have waited until he had been invested. He was the distraction in his life. He had an uneasy feeling that this was a turning point in his life, for which he was not prepared.

"Anyway, Arthur, tomorrow is a day devoted solely to the physical side of knighthood. Enjoy yourself and let the exercise, wipe clear your mind of all non-knightly pursuits!" Leon smiled as he left, he remembered growing up and how a pretty face and friendly smile could sometimes distract a person but Arthur had all his life to enjoy the attractions of the opposite sex. He called over his shoulder, "Have a fun day and then you'll be ready for more serious work,"

"Thank you, I'll try to, Leon."

But even the best laid plans can sometimes not come to fruition. The following morning as Arthur was on his way across the courtyard to the training grounds, he bumped into Gaius and his assistant. 'I won't let him distract me! I won't let him distract me!' But it didn't work, Merlin looked at him from under his fringe and gave him a smile that would have challenged the rising sun after two weeks of clouds and Arthur's mind was conquered.

'Damn it! He doesn't have to speak he just has to acknowledge me and I'm captivated,' thought Arthur.

He was determined. He'd think of other things, 'Siani, Ash, Solomon, Favoury, Mulgan and Iago. I bet he'd love the youngsters. No!' his mind screamed.

'Try again! Mam, Marie-Soleil, Donatienne, Lady Jayne, Lady Imelda. She loved merlins. No!' his mind screamed again.

'One more time. Rudd, Piers, Romney, Gielbert, Spenser, Edmund. He would have liked him, I know he would have. No, No, No!' His mind screamed.

Luckily his thoughts were interrupted by Ash, pushing her head into his stomach for attention and he was momentarily distract and then, he mounted her and forgot everything as he concentrated on his life's vocation.

In the afternoon, Gaius met a bored-out-of-his-skull Arthur. Deciding that he needed cheering up and not realising his mental anguish vis-à-vis a certain brunette, he suggested that he should take Merlin to the mews to see his namesakes and maybe give him a tour of the armoury.

"He should be back from the lower town any minute now as he went to deliver some salve to poor old Bettie for her legs." Arthur knew that old Bettie was a long time patient of Gaius and indeed had often visited her in his younger days.

"Come sit with me, we haven't had a lot of time recently to chat."

And then to Arthur's discomfort, Gaius started recounting all the amusing things which had happened to his assistant since he had been with him. Arthur wanted to hear what was going on with the two of them. He enjoyed hearing all that Merlin and Gaius had been up to but it certainly defeated his purpose of distancing himself for a while from Merlin.

Arthur was laughing at Gaius's description of Merlin's first attempt to catch the leeches and clean the tank.

What a to-do! He had decided that he wanted to experience a leech taking some of his blood. Gaius had laid one skinny leech on his arm and oh-so-brave Merlin had closed his eyes and told Gaius, "Warn me when it is ready to bit me, alright?"

Gaius had absentmindedly agreed not bothering to tell Merlin of the little wonder's anaesthetical ability. Merlin sat with his eyes closed in anticipation of fangs suddenly biting into his skin accompanied by a slurping noise and a dripping sensation.

Gaius laughed as he recounted how Merlin had dozed off and he had kept working and was startled by Merlin's yell, "Gaius, there is something wrong with the leech. He's grown fat!"

Arthur laughed, he remembered as a child while cleaning the tank having one individual latch onto him and Gaius allowing him to keep it on him. He was surprised by the lack of pain just the fascination of seeing the leech accomplish its little miracle.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over them and the subject of the story was present. "Gaius, Arthur, enjoying the sun?"

Arthur couldn't resist saying, "No, actually enjoying the story of An Intrepid Leech Wrangler!"

"Gaius, you promised not to tell anyone!"

"Arthur isn't just anyone, he's family..."

Once again with that one word, Gaius had expressed his love for the young man whom he had raised and for the young man whom he had recently taken under his wing.

"Anyway, give me the basket as Arthur is going to spend some time showing you around. Remember the two of you, no getting into trouble and Merlin back in time for supper. We're having Leech and Chips!"

As one voice the two of them said, "Gross!"

"Glad I'm eating with the king tonight. Poor you, you'll be afraid to look on your plate just in case..."

As they walked away, Merlin purposely bumped into Arthur and smiled. Arthur tried to bump him back but he was too fast for him.

When they arrived at the mews, Merlin was surprised as it was quite a set up. One section had partitioned stalls each with a falcon sitting on a perch. Arthur explained that the birds were also allowed time in an area reserved for exercise which allowed the falcons to be outside in the fresh air. Everyday, the birds were exercised by the mews' staff and unless in full moult were flown and trained. Those in wing moult needed to be protected from other hawks and were not taken outside until new feathers were present.

Marie-Soleil had explained the meaning of the word mews to Arthur as Donatienne's father had falcons in France. She had learned that the word mews came from the French verb _muer_, for the loss of feathers and growing of new ones or as Arthur knew it, moulting.

Arthur was very proud of his knowledge of French and falcons and Merlin was impressed but assured him with a wink, that his cat in Ealdor had moulted or shed, but it had never flown again. Arthur had a good laugh as did the falconer who accompanied the prince and his guest around the mews.

Arthur took a bird on his gloved hand, holding the leash on the falcon's legs, he walked a distance away from the castle and let it loose. It skimmed and flew over the trees in the hedgerow and then back over Arthur to complete a circuit. Arthur allowed it free time and then put up his arm and miraculously, the merlin returned to his hand for the bait he was holding. He slipped its jesses between his fingers and turned smiling at Merlin.

Merlin was speechless but he finally was able to say, "Arthur, she came back to you, she flew free and came back to you!"

Arthur remembered the saying, 'If you love something let it go, if it loves you, it will come back.' He looked at Merlin and suddenly realised how true the saying was!

The armoury was less of a hit. Merlin admired all the armour and commented on how shiny it was. He said seriously to Arthur, "Good thing it keeps clean otherwise, this would be a hell of a lot of work!"

Arthur couldn't stop laughing. "Merlin, it doesn't clean itself, servants spend hours sitting here cleaning and polishing. All the dents caused by swords and the like, have to be worked out and in some there are repairs needed."

"Well," said Merlin, not at all impressed, "Glad I'm not a servant!"


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4 : BEATING HEART, FOLDED WINGS**

Merlin was in trouble again. He'd found a songbird which had flown into one of the windows above the courtyard, Arthur's actually and it was dead. Gaius was beside him but before he could do anything, Merlin had picked it up. He'd cupped it in his hand, blown over it, ruffling its feathers, his eyes had turned gold and he had whispered "_Exsuscitas!" _The bird had blinked. He held it close to his heart and then he raised his arms to the heavens and opening his hands said affectionately, "Be more careful, next time!"

Gaius was furious, he grabbed him by the ear and dragged him back to his chambers.

"What do you think you were doing? One bird's life is not worth dying at the stake. What were you thinking? Anyone near enough, would have heard you. Arthur could have been watching you and what is there to stop him from innocently telling his father about it and you not so innocently being dragged out of here by guards?

"Haven't you been listening to anything that I have told you. Camelot is not a safe place to practice magic. Maybe you should leave. Go now, as I couldn't face seeing you burned."

"But Gaius, it was nothing. Maybe it wasn't dead. Maybe I did nothing."

Gaius raised his eyebrow and gave him that all knowing look.

"Well, maybe it was only a little dead..."

"I don't want to discuss it any further. Think about what I have said. If you decide to go, please leave before I have returned from my afternoon rounds. It was lovely having you here but I cannot risk your life by asking you to stay, as you obviously do not understand what danger you are in and what danger you are putting me in for habouring a sorcerer."

Merlin was stunned. Gaius saw him as a threat. Why had he even picked up the bird? A cat would have been only too happy to make a meal of it. He didn't want to leave, he felt safe and loved Gaius. He needed to get away to think about it. He turned abruptly and without a word to Gaius, he left the room.

Gaius looked up as the door closed. Hopefully, he would hole up somewhere and think about what had been said. He knew that if he came back and found that he had packed up and gone, he would be heart-broken.

He sat by the cold fire and smiled, Merlin would have insisted lighting in with a few choice words and his joy at being able to do it would have been infectious with both of them laughing like teenagers. It had been good to have magic practiced again in these chambers. He moved towards to fire, held out his hand and whispered, "_Existo calor_!" A flame surged and soon the wood was catching. He smiled, Merlin would have been surprised at him and he felt proud of himself. He thought, 'God willing, he makes the right choice!'

Merlin ran down the corridor and up the first flight of stairs then along other corridor and up another flight of stairs. He knew the tears were streaming down his face as he gasped for air but at least he was alone. He couldn't help it. Gaius had said that he didn't want him here as he was a liability to himself and also to him. He wiped his eyes.

Suddenly two strong arms grabbed him and held him at a distance...

"And what do we have here? A big baby? Has some one hurt your feelings, lad? Life is tough when you have to grow up. Wanting your mother are you?"

Merlin tried to wrench free.

"Not so soon, sonny! Maybe I could be of help!"

Merlin still squirmed, this situation didn't feel right to him. This was something unsettling which he couldn't explain. The man was too strong and had become too close for comfort. Merlin just kept his eyes closed and tried to mentally distance himself from the physical proximity.

"...haven't seen your pretty face around before. New to Camelot are you? You came to the right place if you're looking for fun!" With that the man roughly let go of Merlin, pushing him away and laughing at his discomfort.

Someone, obviously annoyed, cut in, "Leave him alone, Merril! He's a kid...keep your thoughts to yourself. He's done you no wrong." The voice changed and said in a more kindly tone, "Boy, are you alright?"

Merlin opened his eyes and recognized the red cloaks emblazoned with the golden dragon on the left forearm, he'd been stopped by knights. He sniffed and looking up at the one who had asked him if he was alright. He mumbled, "Yes, Sir Knight."

Then the other rough voice took over again, "Well, if you are, you'd better bugger off the royal floor unless you have specific business here."

Two more people joined the group and an older kinder voice said, "You're Gaius's new assistant, aren't you?" Merlin whirled around it was Sir Leon. "Come along, I'll see you back downstairs."

By then, the others had lost interest in him as they were outclassed by a senior knight who scowled at the trouble maker. That young knight was making a name for himself, he needed to be straightened out. He'd see to him later. He motioned to them that they should be off so they nodded at Leon and left.

Sir Leon remembered arriving in the castle as a page, how he had missed his family and it had taken him some time to get used to Camelot enough to call it home. This young man must also be feeling a little at a loss, particularly when he had been upset.

"You'll soon settle in, it's just a bit strange at first. Come with me, I just have to see someone first and then I'm going downstairs."

They walked along the corridor and it wasn't until Merlin recognised Daniel's voice, did he realise that Sir Leon had knocked on Arthur's door. He was mortified. He couldn't face Arthur like this but he couldn't run away from Sir Leon without being rude and possibly making him suspicious.

Daniel said, "Ah, Sir Leon, Arthur is expecting you, ...and, Merlin, what a nice surprise!" Merlin gave him the suspicion of a smile. He had always been friendly towards him.

Arthur's head shot up at the name Merlin. He tried to appear as if nothing was out of the ordinary but why did Leon have Merlin with him.

Sir Leon's noticed the surprised look on Arthur's face and explained that he'd met Merlin and he seemed a little lost so he thought he could accompany them downstairs and go back to Gaius. Arthur glanced at Merlin but his head was down, his face covered by his fringe and he could only see the tip of his nose and his mouth. He looked at Leon questioningly but he only mouthed, 'Later.'

Arthur turned to Daniel and said, "I'll be here for supper, possibly with a guest. Please, set for two."

"Very well, Sire!"

Arthur collected his things and Leon and Merlin followed him out of the chamber. Arthur walked with Leon and Merlin followed behind. They had no sooner got down one flight than Sir Rupert joined them. Leon said, "Arthur, if you'd like to go ahead, I'll meet you in the squires' quarters."

Arthur nodded and left the two knights talking and motioned to Merlin to follow him. He called over his shoulder to Leon, "I'll see him down to Gaius's." Leon nodded. Arthur thought, 'Maybe, I'll get to the bottom of whatever the problem is.' However, Merlin wouldn't talk to him.

Arthur could get nowhere with him so finally said, "You are my guest for supper this evening. Maybe by then you will have found your voice." Merlin went to say something but Arthur continued smiling, "...consider it an order from your prince!" He then turned with his brown cloak swinging and walked in the other direction, calling over his shoulder, "Be on time!"

Merlin was no better off. His plan to find somewhere to think, or had it been to hide, had backfired. He didn't know if Gaius was in his chambers or he had already left. He decided not to risk seeing him until he had seriously thought about what he had said. He walked round to the kitchen gardens and sat watching the hens.

He couldn't clear his mind to reach any decision. The run in with the first knight had thrown him. He hadn't realised that not all knights were noble-minded people and some had bad, days just like everyone else. It had been an eye-opener. He didn't know how to cope with insinuations like that and what if the man had been serious?

Seeing Arthur again was nice. Merlin hoped that his face hadn't been too tearstained. It was hard as having him be so pleasant, had made him realise how upset he had been with Gaius. Now, he was embarrassed that he hadn't at least told him that he had got lost...and then the invitation to supper in the prince's chambers. He was so mixed up.

His main priority was however, to figure out Gaius's words and decide if he was going to go right up there and back his knapsack and leave. Magic was a part of him and sometimes he wasn't conscious of it. Could he live in a kingdom where magic was a liability not an advantage? He really needed to have a heart to heart with Gaius but as they weren't on speaking terms that could prove a little difficult.

* * *

><p>Arthur was in the squires' quarters for his meeting with his squire mentor. While Sir Leon was with him, he had forgotten about his dinner guest. Leon was being thorough, it was necessary as if anything came up when Arthur was king, he had to know the basics. Sir Leon smiled and said, "Well, that's enough for today, did that lad ever get back to Gaius?"<p>

Arthur said, "Oh, Merlin? Yes, I took him right down to the door."

"That was kind of you. There was something with a couple of the younger knights badgering him and I think he got upset. They can come on pretty strong, sometimes. I'll look into it. There is a real pecking order in this castle. Luckily, you and I are in the top third but it is hard for those in the lower two thirds."

"And where does Merlin fit in?"

"At the moment, as he is a servant of Gaius, I'd guess at the bottom of the royal household staff. Once he has been here a while, being the assistant to the court physician would put him somewhere in the middle third, while Gaius in his position and being a contemporary of the king is in the lower top third."

"Is it like that everywhere?"

"Yes, no matter where you go, you belong in a slot and it is difficult to rise to the next level; much easier to slip down. Even in a village like Merlin's, there would have been an order to follow, headsman right down to the poorest of the poor.

But don't worry yourself, in your position as Crown Prince, you are by birth just below the king and above everyone else even the senior knights. Didn't take any effort to get there but you never know, it might take effort to remain in that position. When a kingdom collapses or is overthrown all the slots are up for grabs and it takes a strong personality and brains, as well as the support of the knights to regain it. Please God, it never happens in Camelot!"

This gave Arthur something to think about as he made his way back to his chambers. Ignoring his birthright, he was a squire which meant that he was below the knights and all advisors and even the important members of the household staff but above the pages and the general staff.

However, if he hadn't been born a prince in a castle, he wondered where would he have fitted into society?

* * *

><p>Gaius came back from his rounds and his first thought was Merlin. He was worried as he walked across his chamber and up the flight of stairs. The door was closed so he tapped and waited. No response, he opened the door, saw the mess and breathed a sigh of relief.<p>

Merlin was getting chilly. The sun had gone behind the castle and he was in the shade. He stood up and stretched. Two kitchen maids looked and giggled at him in passing. He ducked his head as he wasn't up to pleasantries.

He straightened his top and brushed off his pants as he had been sitting on the ground. He rubbed his boots on the back of each calf to get rid of some of the dust. He walked to the pump and swilled off his face, rubbing his sleeve across it to dry it, he gave his hands a good washing. He wasn't going to leave Camelot. Something kept telling him not to! He also knew for certain that he needed Gaius even though at the moment, it seemed that he might not necessarily need him. He took off his neckerchief and gave it a good shake and tied it around his neck again.

As he walked into the kitchen, he heard the sounds of servants being directed to take food to the dining halls and private chambers. Gaius had brought him down here one day to eat in the servants' quarters; it was interesting as he had seen people whom he would never have come across while he was at work upstairs in the castle.

He saw Daniel getting food for Arthur and decided to go up the back staircase and wait until he had taken it into the chamber, before knocking at the door himself.

He wasn't paying attention and the next thing, Daniel was asking him if he could manage two pitchers, one of wine and one of water. He seemed to know that Merlin would be joining the prince but he didn't say anything directly just, "Could you help me by carrying these pitchers on your way upstairs?"

Merlin smiled, he was happy to help him. Arthur had told him how kind Tilly, Daniel's sister had been to him as he was growing up and he'd told him the story of little Annie. Merlin had loved that story and was so impressed that Arthur would have felt that way about an unknown village child. He smiled remembering Arthur's retelling of how shocked he had been when the little boy had turned out to be a little girl!

As Daniel tapped on the door, a voice said, "Come in. Have you see hide or hair of Merlin?"

Daniel stood back and Merlin couldn't resist saying "Surprise!" As he said it, he wondered if he was being forward but the smile on Arthur's face confirmed that it had been just the right thing to say after his refusal to talk to him earlier in the afternoon.

Daniel was dismissed and they sat down at the table. Arthur immediately launched into the afternoon's events. He didn't exactly say that Leon had told him anything but Merlin knew he had and he didn't feel self conscious about it. He liked Sir Leon and knew that Arthur thought the world of him.

Merlin knew better than to pour his heart out to Arthur. He couldn't and he probably would never be able to discuss magic with him. He told him that Gaius had been annoyed with his behaviour and had suggested that maybe Merlin would be better off somewhere else.

Arthur looked grief stricken. Then Merlin was worried that he hadn't liked hearing that his behaviour was so bad that Gaius had taken him to task. "I didn't mean to upset him, Arthur, it was just one of those things."

"Did he give you the one-raised eyebrow look?"

Merlin grinned. Of course, Gaius had raised Arthur, he would know all about his looks and mannerisms.

"He wasn't too please with me and read me the riot act. I was upset and decided to find somewhere to hide and think about things and I was running blindly when..." He didn't intend to go any further on that track.

"...when Leon found you?"

Merlin nodded.

"Well, I'm glad he did as if not, I would have been eating alone with Daniel watching to see that I ate all my vegetables."

The young man from Ealdor thought, 'What is it about you which makes you so easy to be with? Maybe if I had remained in Camelot that day ten years ago, we might have become friends.' It was strange as the Arthur, he saw in training with the other squires, and around the castle was not the same Arthur as the one who visited Gaius's chambers. The former was distant and serious but now, in front of him was the one he knew and liked.

Arthur then launched into a long and complicated story about his having a fight one day with Gaius. He couldn't now remember what it was about but he had taken off and got lost in the castle. He didn't remember much until Sir Rupert had found him and had carried back to Gaius, one hungry, relieved five year old who had hung onto his neck, crying the whole way.

Merlin smiled, he liked listening to Arthur's stories and he thought that he had a lovely story telling manner.

Next thing, he couldn't believe it Daniel was back and he was leaving. He smiled, he was quite comfortable and could have sat all night listening and talking to Arthur. He thanked him for supper and bade him good night, nodding at Daniel.

He now had to go and face Gaius. He'd made up his mind, he was staying but he wondered if one of the reasons might also be the prince.

As the sentries announced midnight, everyone was in their proper beds with eyes slowly closing, dreams taking over busy minds.

Gaius had heard Merlin come in and tiptoe past him up the stairs to his little chamber. He breathed, a sigh of relief, turned over and let sleep carry him away.

Merlin knew that Gaius was awake but as he was still in a happy frame of mind from the supper conversations, he decided to face Gaius after a good night's sleep.

Arthur tossed and turned. Merlin bothered him in a rather pleasant way which he didn't quite understand. He only knew that he would have quite happily sat and talked to him all night. Finally, sleep overtook him and he knew Merlin was in his dream even though he couldn't see his face or hear his voice, he just knew that he was next to him.

Way up in a sheltered corner on a turret, a little bird which had been the cause of all the trouble, tucked its head under its wing and settled in to wait for the sun to announce another day.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5 : ARISE, SIR KNIGHT **

The noise of the crows and horses on the cobble stones in the courtyard woke Merlin. He stretched, enjoying the luxury of a cot and a blanket. At home, his mother had a cot raised off the ground but he had always slept near the fire on the floor. He heard movement in the outer chamber and knew that he had to get up to face the wrath of Gaius. 'Please, let him be happy, that I decided to stay,' he thought.

Gaius felt great, he had laid down the rules for Merlin's continuing as his assistant and he was relieved that he had understood. There would probably need to be other reminders but hopefully this was enough to get them through the busy time that the castle faced with the senior squires' parents arriving to attend the investiture ceremonies. The new knights would then be given a month off, following the tournament.

Merlin walked down into the chamber and sat at the table in front of the fire, waiting for Gaius to talk. Silence. Finally Merlin raised his head and made eye-contact and the love and worry in Gaius's eyes, hit him harder than any cuff across the head could have. He was going to say something but he couldn't. The depth and intensity of the moment was such that he couldn't speak. He managed only to smile at the man who was willing to tutor him and keep him safe in a kingdom, which he was beginning to accept as his future home.

"Well, are you going to serve the porridge and do I have to move my old body and do it myself?"

Merlin was up and had ladled two servings from the pot hanging over the fire in no time. He returned and sat down. He said, "I realise that you..."

"Not now! You're still here and I think you know how foolhardy your actions were and have taken my warnings to heart. Where were you last evening? I was worried as I never heard from you."

"Gaius, you wouldn't belief it; Arthur invited me to supper again. Did I do the right thing in accepting? I never know. He seemed really pleased when I arrived but there must be lots of other friends he could invite to join him. Maybe, I should stay out of his way as then he wouldn't feel obligated."

The older man didn't feel that it was his place to bring up Edmund's story and the fact that Arthur didn't have any real friend. Yes, he had Spenser but he couldn't have man to man talks with him and as a squire Spenser had duties. The same could be said of Romney and Gielbert, they had their own lives and busy ones at that. Gaius realised that Arthur, unless he ate with the king or even with him, would quite often eat alone.

"I've never known Arthur in his own private time, to do anything, unless he wants to. I am sure there was no obligation involved. Maybe it's because you are a breath of fresh air and the two of you have a few short minutes of history from years ago. If he asks you to join him, it is because he wants you there. Did he treat you well?"

"Gaius, I never knew an evening pass so quickly, I just seemed to have arrived and the next thing, Daniel had retuned. We talked about all sorts of things. You know Gaius, I think Camelot is very lucky having Arthur as its crown prince."

Gaius smiled to himself. He didn't believe it to be possible but maybe Merlin was the person to fill in an empty place in Arthur's life, well at least at the moment.

* * *

><p>Arthur knew that the countdown had come for his final days as a squire. They had practiced processing into the Great Chamber where they would be doing the vigil, or 'awakening' as it was also known. They had been dressed in their long white over tunics to be sure that they fitted perfectly. They had also practiced advancing accompanied by sponsors to the steps below the king's throne and learned exactly where and when they would kneel. All their clothes for the investiture had also been checked.<p>

They received one day off to visit with their families and guests. The following day, secluded for hours with their knight mentors, they had settled in their minds any remaining doubts or questions they might have.

Arthur and the candidates breakfasted in the Council Chamber with all the knights. They were served by the household staff and their own personal server who was also the squire who would be with them during the ceremony. Not surprisingly, Arthur had chosen Spenser.

The candidates then progressed in silence to their own quarters where they were dressed in their white robes by their sponsors and led in solemn procession to the Chamber of the Vigil. One by one they shook hands with their Knight Mentors and walked to their assigned place, which had a kneeler and a chair and the twenty-four hour vigil commenced. Arthur shook hands with Sir Leon and as he walked away, heard Jonathan thank Sir Mandon. They would not leave the room until called for breakfast the following morning. They would meditate, contemplate and pray for the strength to accept the responsibility which was to be placed on their shoulders by the king in front of the assembled knights.

Arthur's mind was racing. He saw his life before him, the actual horror when he realised that he belonged to the king not Gaius; the wrench of being forced to move into his own royal chambers; the inability to fully understand as a thirteen year old something which had happened and would always haunt him; the confusion of Rudd's departure; Pier's leaving by choice and Edmund's death, that horror and agony never to be forgotten. He knew that these happenings must have made him stronger. He would be able to accept greater responsibility because of them.

Then, slowly good thoughts intruded on his mind. He thought of the warmth and love when he was in Gaius's presence. He though of the women who had looked after him; the staff who had never complained at leading him around on a horse or playing with him when Gaius was busy; the squires who had chaperoned him around the castle to classes, the senior squires who had accompanied him on outings and camping; and even the king, his father. He had so many people to whom he owed so much. He pledged then and there that he would stand up for all these people and their extended families in the castle. He prayed for strength, understanding and direction.

The chamber was getting dark, staff came in and lit a selection of candles, leaving enough light for him to see the outlines of furniture and the squires in front of him. His body was rebelling after being always so active. He alternatively, knelt and stood. He surprised himself by seldom sitting. He stood, his arms down and his hands placed one in front of the other. He knelt, asking for the strength to live the Code of Chivalry to the best of his ability.

Eventually, he noticed lightening of the sky behind the arched windows. Today, was the day...

Servants came in and all the candles were lit. The candidates were permitted to relax, stretching muscles but still in silence, they processed back to their quarters through empty halls. They disrobed, their squires folding the white robes. They gathered around a table and breakfasted. Once their fast was broken, they were allowed to talk. No one seemed to want to be the first person to break the silence but their squire master advised that they talk as they still had a few hours before they would leave these chambers for the last time as squires and present themselves to the king.

Gaius had been up early, he had tasks to do but today was special as he would stand in a place of honour on the dais, as requested by the king. He was so proud of Arthur and Merlin noticed that he had a continual grin on his face.

"Special day, isn't it?"

"He's been working towards this day since he first picked up a wooden sword and asked Tilly to teach him to fight. He has put a lot of time and effort into it especially as he was carrying an extra workload with his classes with Geoffrey. Merlin, he really deserves it. Now eat up, we have to be in the chambers before the candidates process in."

Merlin looked surprised. "Am I invited as well?"

"Well, I don't intend to leave you here, I never know what you might get up to if I'm not here to keep an eye on you."

Merlin grinned. He knew Gaius was only fooling. He had been very careful since their last falling out and was pleased to think that he would be observing a ceremony which had had the castle on its toes for weeks.

"Clean your boots, brush your trousers and jacket and put on clean top and neckerchief. Wash your face and brush your hair. We don't want you letting the side down."

* * *

><p>The five candidates were lined up before the king. The hall had fallen into silence as they had entered. One by one, they approached the king and knelt.<p>

They had previously been vested by their Mentor Knights in a red robe symbolising their nobility. Their boots were black symbolising death.

Gaius and Sir Leon mounted the dais, as Arthur was called forward, Spenser stepped forward offering Sir Leon, Arthur's sword and shield. The sword were in turn passed to Uther. His two sponsors, Sir Geoffrey of Monmouth and Sieur Thierry de Saute-Chèvreuil stepped forward vouching for his suitability to be invested.

Arthur knelt swearing an Oath of Allegiance to his father and took vows to respect and defend women, and to shun traitors. Uther then presented him with his shield.

Merlin standing to the side of the dais where he had been with Gaius was mesmerised, this was the first knighthood ceremony that he had witnessed and Arthur was going to be a knight at any moment now. Merlin took it all to heart. In his mind, one phrase he couldn't understand, kept repeating itself. 'One day!' he kept thinking, 'One day!'

Uther then struck Arthur's shoulders with the flat of the sword and said, "I dub thee Sir Arthur." Following a pause, the king said "Arise Sir Knight!" The sponsors then put on his spurs and his sword was belted on him! Sir Arthur Pendragon now stood before them. Uther turned and put his arm around Gaius's shoulders and shook his hand.

Arthur seeing his farther's action, appreciated the acknowledgement by the king for the man whom for many years, he had believed was his father and whom he now still considered as the closest and most influential person in his life. The first person to congratulate him after Uther and Gaius, was Sir Leon, his mentor.

Once all the candidates had been invested, Sir Rupert raised his sword and cried, "For the Love of Camelot!"

The response rocked the very rafters. The ceremony was over and family members came forwards to claim their newly knighted sons. Uther went to each family group to congratulate the knights and their families.

Arthur standing with Gaius's arm on his shoulder, surrounded by Romney and Gielbert and various knights, looked over and caught Merlin's eye and gave him a shy smile.

The youngest knights would be feted at a banquet that night and would compete as knights in the Summer Tournament the following day.

Merlin stood back and looked over at Arthur. The red suited his colouring better than the dull brown. Arthur threw back his head and laughed at something Valentin had said. He looked fantastic. Merlin couldn't remember using that word about another man. They might be handsome and strong. But there was something more to Arthur than just handsome and strong, it was the way in which Merlin was affected by the handsomeness and strength. It wasn't an opinion expressed or a thought, it was a reality staring him in the face.

He moved to walk away. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face Arthur. He blushed ashamed of his last thoughts, "Congratulations, Sir Knight," he managed to gasp.

"Merlin, thank you for coming today. It was such an important day for me and now as you were part of it, we will always remember it as we both were present."

Someone called, "Sire, the king wants you to meet Sir Penscob."

Arthur turned back to Merlin and said. "A knight can still entertain in his chambers, so maybe you and Gaius can join me one night for dinner. Let's make it sooner than later."

Merlin nodded and said, "Yes, Sire." He thought, 'Arthur, you're a prince you can do whatever you want, what's so big about being a knight.'

Arthur looked questioningly at him, smiled again and walked away across the room.

Gaius had been invited to the evening banquet so he told Merlin as his assistant that he could be present as his server. Merlin's eyes opened wide in dismay.

"It's not going to be too hard for you, you will just stand behind my chair and if I ask you for anything special you will get it for me. Don't worry as I am easy to serve and seldom want anything more than what is being offered. It will give you a glimpse of life at court during a celebration."

Merlin agreed with reservations as he wasn't too sure that he wanted to see Arthur after today's unsettling encounter. He needed to stand on one side and clear his mind. It was too easy to get swept along in the excitement. He was a villager with a big secret which was capable of getting him into big trouble in Camelot and here he was associating with knights and a crown prince as if he hadn't a care in the world. If it wasn't that it would have seemed ungrateful refusing to serve Gaius, he would have wrapped himself in a blanket with one of Gaius's books on magic and stayed in his room.

Following Gaius, Merlin made his way to the table and stood behind his chair. True to his word, Gaius never asked for anything extra. As a villager, he was shocked at the amount of food presented to the guests; he recognised a few of the other menservants and Daniel who was serving Arthur.

Huge platters were carried in on servants' shoulders, he saw carcasses of animals he couldn't identify and was upset at one point to see a platter surmounted by a regal swan paraded before the king. He was later to find out from Gaius that only on special occasions such as tonight with Arthur's investiture or at royal weddings was that dish prepared as the carcass of the swan was stuffed with other game fowl, roasted and then reassembled.

Gaius had slipped a few sweetmeats and fruits into his pocket and when they finally returned to the chambers, he put them on the table letting Merlin taste them and identifying the fruit for him.

* * *

><p>Merlim had purposely diverted his eyes from Arthur during the evening festivities so was surprised when there was a tap on the door much later in the evening and who appeared in the door way but the knight himself. "Gaius, I wanted to spend a few moments with you before I turned in. Hard to believe it, I'm a real knight."<p>

Like a big kid, he twirled around in his red cloak admiring his reflection in the window, small though it was.

"I knew you'd do it! What are your plans during your time off after the tournament."

"I've been invited to visit Spenser's parents. But between you and me, I would be just as happy to mess around at Castle Farm, maybe spend some time hunting and do lots of riding."

"Is Gielbert going to France to be with Donatienne?"

"No, the king won't grant him time off. He's hoping that when Grégoire returns once he is knighted that she might arrive with his party. Lady Yvonne is agreeable that she stays for the summer but what with the troubles in France and the dangers of the journey; I think it would be safer if she stayed where she is. He's upset as he wanted her with him this summer. Isn't love strange? She's more important in his life that his best horse. Some people…"

Merlin couldn't but help laugh and Arthur punched him in the shoulder. Before he even thought of it he'd punched him back and Gaius laughingly said, "Boys, stop it! That will end in tears"

Lowering his gaze, Merlin said in a quiet voice, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Excuse me, Sir Knight."

That resulted in Arthur punching him again and ducking as he thought Merlin might retaliate but he didn't, he'd remembered his place. "Merlin, it's me Arthur. Why are you so jumpy with me today? I'm no different than last week. I'm still me and you're still you."

Gaius intervened, "I think, Sire…"

"Oh, not you too Gaius! What's with the 'sire' nonsense? I thought we'd settled that, years ago."

But Gaius wouldn't give up, "I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted, by my friend Arthur here, that Merlin has attended two large ceremonies and I think, he is maybe feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. Arthur, when you met in the courtyard years ago, I don't think he had any idea what a prince was." He turned included Merlin in the conversation and continued, "You were just a boy a little older than he was, who had been friendly to him. Now, he has seen you in the company of your peers and it is rather a shock."

Merlin piped up, "Well, not shocked but certainly you are way beyond my highest expectations." He stopped suddenly realising, how what he had said could be interpreted, he blushed and shut up.

Arthur leaned over and said, "Oh Merlin, if you only knew the real me, you'd know, I am like you. Isn't that true, Gaius?"

Gaius laughed, saying, "Like two peas in a pod!"

"Anyway, I'll be expected to watch the squire demonstrations at the tournament tomorrow so I had better be off.

Gaius, don't do anything tomorrow but introduce Merlin to the joys of our Summer Tournament and prepare him for my jousting competition the following day.

With that the Crown Prince left to go to his chambers and Gaius glanced at Merlin and thought, 'What is it between the two of them?'


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6 : ROYAL PROTOCOL **

Merlin had noticed the buzz around the castle for the last couple of weeks but he had assumed that it was in preparation for the investiture but since attending it, he realised that it had been open to only a select few and he had been included only in his capacity as assistant to one of the 'fathers' of a candidate. He learned that the underlying current of excitement was for the public celebration of the Summer Tournament. It was a citywide celebration. The alehouses were more busy than normal and did great business as did the inns in the town. All were invited and the market place had to be the busiest, he had ever seen it.

But the thing which caught his eye were the myriad of pennant topped, bright coloured pavilions. He'd noticed the colours early one morning and had gone with Gaius's permission to investigate with the warning, "For heaven's sake, Merlin, don't get yourself into any trouble."

He didn't, he had a lovely time. He'd met up with the page Daffyd who was running messages and he had told him the colours matched the standards of each knight.

"Which one is Prince Arthur's ?" Merlin asked.

Daffyd put his fingers to his lips and motioned for him to follow and pointed out a red, gold and white tent flying the Pendragon pennant, and another gold coloured dragon on the entry flap. Much impressed, Merlin walked over and peeked inside. It was disappointing. He'd expected wonderful things but there were a couple of benches, racks for swords and lances, a table with mugs and a rack for armour.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face a knight whom he didn't know. "You have business here?"

"No, I just wanted to..."

A little voice spoke up, "It's alright, Sir Aislin, he's with me. He's Merlin, Gaius's assistant and he's new to Camelot so he gets lost easily."

Sir Aislin smiled as he looked down at Daffyd, Sir Rodik's youngest brother. "Well, you're not doing a very good job keeping an eye on him, if he's in the Prince's tent." He turned to Merlin and said, "Welcome to Camelot but if I were you I'd clear off, Prince Arthur would be furious to see you this close to his pavilion."

Merlin was about to say, 'I doubt it!' but decided instead to be on the safe side and he just bowed to Sir Aislin as Daffyd grabbed his hand and led him away.

Aislin smiled, that Daffyd was a live wire. He was a credit to Rodik's family and would make a great knight in the future.

Daffyd trotted along and showed Merlin where the king and dignitaries would sit in the stands to watch the jousting and other special events. He never stopped talking it was like a guided tour. "It's going to be very exciting you know. Prince Arthur is very talented in the lists and he has a fabulous horse too. You should get here early and then you will have a good view. If you're lucky you will be able to stand close by and watch. I like the flail and can't wait until I'm a squire and learn how to swing it."

Suddenly he saw a maidservant coming across the grass and he said, "I have to go as Lady Jayne will be wondering where I got to after I delivered the message. See you around, Merlin."

Merlin smiled good-bye. He had learned something about pages since he first met Daffyd. They were sons of noble men and knights who were raised from the age of seven until fourteen by the ladies in the establishment. They were in livery and easy to identify. They learned court manners, riding and even basic defense moves. They acted as extra servants to the ladies, running messages, carrying their needlework and the like. In poorer houses, they might even serve the Lord. Camelot was wealthy and had so many servants that although they were seen in the dining hall, they were usually standing behind the ladies' chairs in case they were needed. It wasn't a bad life but there was a pecking order and bullying. However, Daffyd with a big brother a knight in the same court would probably be safe. At the age of fourteen, if proved suitable, they were put under the care of the squire masters and start the seven year grind to becoming a knight.

Merlin stood watching the castle workers putting the final touches to the royal stands. A large throne had been placed there for the king with various sized chairs for guests of lesser importance. The commoners would be standing or if lucky seated on rough wooden benches. He wandered back to the castle, making his way to Gaius's.

"How early tomorrow will we be leaving? Daffyd said that we should arrive in plenty of time so we can be near the stands and see everything."

Gaius laughingly said, "If you intend to stay in Camelot for a few years. This will not be the only tournament that you will ever see, sometimes there are other tournaments during the year with visiting knights."

"But this will be my first tournament ever!"

"Alright, we'll go tomorrow to see the squire demonstrations and the assembly before the king but on the next day, I will be working. Did Daffyd point out the infirmary tent while you were there?"

"No, we just looked at the knights' pavilions."

"Well, on the day of the actual competitions, I have to work."

"Doing what?"

"Looking after the injured..."

"People get hurt?"

"Well, just as boys play too roughly and get hurt, so do knights."

"But, I thought it was a contest not a real battle."

"That's the general idea but knights have the tendency to get carried away in the heat of the moment and there are often nasty accidents."

"But what about Arthur, he won't get hurt will he?"

"Hopefully not, Merlin! Hopefully not!"

Merlin had not realised that the tournament could be dangerous. He didn't know much about official contests or competitions and had honestly believed that no one would actually get hurt. He was beginning to have second thoughts about the day.

He thoroughly enjoyed the first day's festivities with the squires demonstrating their various skills. He was impressed; some of these kids really knew what they were doing. He even found some of the mounted work nerve wracking as he watched how close the horses were racing together. His heart was in his mouth on a number of occasions.

Gaius watched him and smiled, remembering his first tournament; he had grasped the rail in front of him so tightly that when it was over, his mother had to uncurl each of his fingers to release his hands.

Merlin had seen the training sessions from afar but Gaius knew that was nothing compared with what he was going to witness at the actual event. He wondered how Merlin would cope tomorrow when he saw Arthur in action for the first time.

Gaius knew that Arthur was excellent but even Arthur knew that as he competed for the first time as a knight, it would be a great chance for other knights to challenge him. They would get their opportunity to ride against him and there might be some excessive competitiveness to unhorse him.

* * *

><p>Arthur lay in bed that night, tossing and turning. His nerves were getting the best of him. He knew that he could trust the majority of knights against whom he might have to fight. They would fight fairly but there were a few of his brother knights who might get a little carried away. He'd seen it happen before...<p>

_Ash and he were at the end of the list, facing a knight whose colours of purple, black and silver, he didn't recognise riding a mighty, blood bay stallion..._

_He lined up Ash, she was plunging in anticipation and he put her into a gallop. _

_He barreled down the list, 'head up, eye fixed', his lance made contact with his opponents shield. _

_... and he knew he was falling. He went flying!_

_The earth tilted as he did the obligatory roll on contact and then he was flat on his back. It was quiet, dark and peaceful, he wasn't alone...he felt safe..._

_The other knight must have also been unhorsed as he was lying on top of him._

_He struggled to get out from underneath him but then stopped. He wasn't heavy and it didn't hurt or seem strange and the bed was so soft. It seemed right._

_The knight gave him a little grin and leant forward to kiss him..._

Arthur woke up in a sweat. What in hell's name was that? He tried to remember the whole dream but there _was _nothing more... Who was the knight? Why was he familiar? He hadn't been frightened but what was going on?

He turned over and tried to clear his mind. He needed rest, he had to sleep. He was competing tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Merlin was up before Gaius. He started the fire, filled the kettle and swung it over the heat. He got out bowls and spoons. He took water and returned to his room to quickly wash. One rule of Gaius's was that he had to be presentable each day and as today was special, he decided to get a head start. Finally dressed and with his hair almost tidy, he walked down the stairs again.<p>

Gaius was now up cooking the oatmeal which was their normal breakfast food. Merlin missed the milk which his Mam used to let him pour over it but here, there was no milk. He had finished and was ready to go but Gaius wasn't. He wanted water so he gave Merlin the pail and he made his way to the pump. All around him the town was buzzing, people were already making their way to the tournament grounds. Gaius and he were going to miss it.

He heard trumpets and heralds lead the knights' standards carried by squires through the streets. It was the parade of the standard bearers. Each standard would be placed outside the knight's pavilion to show that he was participated in the contests that day.

Merlin stood still and watched, enthralled by the colour and atmosphere. He saw Spenser carrying a red, gold and white standard with a dragon emblazed in the centre. 'Arthur's!' he thought. He heard someone say that the knights would arrive within an hour.

Water was splashing all over the place as his arm had been busily pumping and he wasn't paying any attention. He heard a gruff voice say, "Hogging all the water. Get out of the way, some of us have work to do!"

He mumbled, "Sorry!" and lugged the too full bucket off the stand, leaving a little trail of water behind him.

The older man called after him, "Village Oaf!"

But an older women also waiting said kindly, "It's your first time, isn't it? Don't worry Love, the jousting is the best and that doesn't start till the afternoon. Who do you work for?"

"Gaius"

"He's a good man. Lucky you aren't working for 'Happy Larry' there," she said pointing to the man who had been rude to him. "He probably wouldn't have given you time off to enjoy yourself, Dear!"

By the time Merlin arrived back at Gaius's, he had less water than he had to begin with as a little trail had followed his progress into the castle and up the stairs.

"Gaius," he called excitedly from the doorway. "I saw Spenser with Arthur's flag."

"Standard!" someone corrected him and he turned to see Sir Geoffrey. "So, I hear from Gaius that you are going to watch the tournament. It's important as although it is only a competition it represents the actual fighting skills which the knights need to survive battles and defend the kingdom."

Gaius was putting together a basket of medical supplies which might be needed for today. "Merlin," he said to get the young man's attention. "Geoffrey and I think that maybe, when you are in public, you should consider referring to Arthur as the Prince and address him as Sire. People usually address him as Sire or Prince Arthur. When no one else is around, or you're in the castle talking to one of us you can refer to him as Arthur."

"Is that what he wants?"

"No, I just think that to head off any trouble with your being accused of familiarity, it might be better." Gaius looked up, "Familiarity, being bold in your manner of addressing him in the hearing of others, a forwardness, impropriety, which some people who don't understand your history, might consider as your being rude."

Merlin could see that Gaius was serious. "But Spenser calls him Arthur..."

"Spenser is the brother of one of Arthur's former friends."

"The knights call him Arthur..."

"Merlin, you're just being difficult. You are not his friend nor are you a knight. Believe me, he is to be called Prince Arthur or Sire by you."

For a second, Merlin considered packing up and going home. He'd waited ten years and Arthur seemed quite alright when he called him by his name. Why were Gaius and Geoffrey being so stuffy about protocol and stupid rules? Fine, he wouldn't call him anything, he'd refer to him as 'he, him and maybe even it' and if he got on his nerves and in his face he would call him 'you'!

The sunshine went out of his day, for some reason, he'd miss saying the name Arthur.

Lunch was eaten by the three of them in Gaius's chambers. Then Gaius collected his supplies together and they made their way downstairs. Gaius and Geoffrey exchanged glances. Where was the happy excited boy who had returned with the water pail?

By the time they got downstairs, on the outside Merlin had a smile, inside he still felt as if he had been robbed of something. Gaius and he dropped off the supplies at the infirmary tent and made their ways to the stands. Because of his position in the court, Gaius usually stood or sat next to the royal stands and that was where he took Merlin, to view his first ever jousting match. Merlin had not lifted his head since he had left the infirmary tent. He didn't want to see Arthur and not be able to say his name. He was also uncomfortable being so close to the king.

The trumpets sounded to announce the procession of the knights and their standard bearers and slowly the cloud over Merlin's head lifted and his whole being was taken up into the excitement of the tournament.

The sound of the crowd around him, the thundering of the horses' hooves, the clash of the lances against the shields, the thud as the unhorsed hit the ground, the sigh of relief as a favourite won his round. The stillness and gasps as some unfortunate soul was dragged the length of the list.

Merlin recognised Arthur's grey mare before he recognised the man himself.

* * *

><p>Arthur cantered leisurely to the end of the list. Surprisingly, he felt relaxed and in his element. This was his first pass as a knight. He prayed, 'God, keep me safe!' and as a second thought, '...and Ash too!'<p>

Ash was into her plunging routine. She knew what was expected of her, gallop to the end of the list with her rider still in place. She tingled with excitement.

Arthur looked down the list, Sir Valentin was waiting for him. He knew he'd be fair and that they were well matched. Arthur dropped his visor. The horn sounded and Ash leapt into a gallop. Head up and eye fixed, Arthur charged down the list. The knights met in the centre with a clash of lances on metal. Arthur was already at the end of the list, still mounted and with the cheers of the crowd in his ears. He hadn't embarrassed the king. He turned and nodded at Sir Valentin. Again, they charged at each other and neither gave an inch.

After their third successful pass, they were both retired to await the final runs.

Merlin finally breathed. He had done it. He was into the quarter finals against another opponent. Merlin hoped that he was as fair as Sir Valentin had been. He stood mesmerised and watched every run. There were some spectacular falls which must have resulted in sprains and even possibly breaks.

Sir Leon walked in front of him and seeing him stopped to ask him if he had enjoyed Arthur's run. It sounded all wrong but Merlin managed to get out, "The prince rode very well." Leon raised his eyebrows but didn't comment.

Arthur wasn't as lucky in the next draw as he was facing one of the more experienced knights, a win-at-any-cost individual well know for making no allowances with the younger knights. The first two rounds were good with contact on both parts. The last run, Arthur leveled his lance and at the last minute the other knight swung his lance up hitting Arthur's shield on the top left quarter and pushing Arthur's lance out of the way making it impossible for him to make any contact.

Merlin felt for him. It was a brilliant move but not so much when the losing knight was Arthur. He corrected himself, the prince.

Both knights rode before the royal stand, removing their helmets and saluting the king. Arthur's eyes caught Merlin's and he smiled, nodding and raising his eyebrows. Uther interested in seeing to whom his son had directed that smile, turned expecting to see maybe Gaius but there was no one of importance there, just lesser dignitaries and servants.

Merlin dropped his eyes worried about familiarity, forwardness and impropriety. You couldn't be too careful, he decided.

Arthur was thrown for a second then figured Merlin hadn't realised he was looking at him.

The Tournament Dinner that night was wonderful. Arthur attended it as a prince and a knight. The king was proud of his riding and Gaius was just happy that he hadn't been brought to the infirmary tent, wounded.

They had celebrated Arthur's twenty-first birthday and the accolades had rolled in as he had reached the age of majority. The drink had been flowing freely and everyone was in fine spirits. Many people remembered that Gaius had raised Arthur and made a point of coming over to congratulate him on the fine job. Uther in his speech had publicly thanked Gaius for stepping in at a very difficult time in his life. Most of the older members of the court were impressed.

Gaius had expected Merlin to have been ecstatic and bubbly. Surprisingly, he seemed happy but subdued. He remained just slightly to the right of and behind Gaius who knew that something had happened but decided to say nothing and wait for whatever it was to blow over before putting in his two-penneth worth. In the old days, he had treated Arthur in the same way. Finally, after a couple of hours or sometimes a day, he would come to him, telling him what had happened, so they could discuss it.

'Strange!' thought Gaius. He hadn't thought Merlin was like that. He always seemed to have had a positive outlook on life and he was missing the continual banter and funny things Merlin used to say.

Arthur walked over to speak to Gaius, wanting Merlin to be in the conversation, he turned to include him and he was nowhere to be seen. For some silly reason, his heart sank.

"Happy Birthday, Arthur. A knight and twenty-one to boot! Congratulations!"

"Thanks Gaius. Where's Merlin, wasn't he with you just a few minutes ago? Something's wrong isn't it?"

"Not that I know, he was here as we ate together. Maybe he just stepped outside..."

Gaius left a puzzled prince and walked back to his chambers. Maybe, Merlin hadn't been well and had gone to lie down. He tapped on his door. No response, he looked in to see if he was maybe sick. No Merlin...

'Not to worry,' thought Gaius. 'He'll wake me up when he comes in.'

* * *

><p>Merlin had stepped outside.<p>

He wandered down by the light of the full moon to the tournament grounds. He sat in the seat he had occupied that afternoon and looking up at the moon. He replayed in his mind, what he had seen, he felt again the excitement and the unbelievable delight in Arthur's performance, the relief that he had survived his first challenges as a knight and he was ashamed by his lack of response because of the warnings of familiarity which was so frowned upon.

He regretted his lack of spontaneous reaction and his inability to show his feelings and so Merlin stood, raising his hands and said aloud, to no one except a little mouse nosing around under the seats. "Yeah Arthur! You were fantastic! Arthur, that was bloody marvelous! I was so excited. Ash looked spectacular...and Arthur...Arthur, I was so proud of you!"

He dropped his head in his hands and realised that coming to Camelot had been a mistake, for ten years he had built up a situation where, Arthur and he would be friends. They would have so much to talk about not keeping any secrets.

It had seemed like a dream those first few weeks. Now, protocol had raised its ugly head and the two of them were separated by rules and regulations which he didn't really understand. He'd never asked if he could call him Arthur, he hadn't know enough to ask. It was his name and he had never said, 'Merlin I would prefer that you didn't call me by my name. You may address me as Sire or Prince Arthur or Your Majesty. You may refer to me in the same manner.'

Had Arthur wanted him to call him Arthur? If he had, who had the right to tell him otherwise? Silly him, he had felt that Arthur had smiled slighty, when he called him by his actual name.

Life had been hard in Ealdor but there had always been the dream that one day, he would find him and, they would be friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7 : BESEIGED BY RULES AND REGULATIONS **

Merlin never woke him, Arthur did, an Arthur who had had a little drop more to drink than he usually did.

"Gaius...wake up."

"Merlin...? I was worried," mumbled a half asleep Gaius.

"Gaius, wake up. I want Merlin."

Realising that it was the other one bothering his sleep, he opened his eyes. Arthur was dressed in a loose shirt and trousers with a belt but with no jacket or boots.

He was making little sense and couldn't get into his head that Gaius didn't have Merlin hidden somewhere on his person. "He's not here, Arthur. I haven't seen him since I spoke to you last evening."

An unsteady Arthur sat down on the cot and said, "Bosh!"

Gaius thought. 'Well, at least his language is better when he is drunk!' He decided that Arthur would probably be there for the duration, so he got up, started a fire and put on the kettle. Going over to the table, he got a mug and taking a hangover remedy decided to incorporate it into a soothing herbal mixture. Arthur would need it in the morning, so he might as well start taking it now.

Arthur couldn't get it into his brain that Merlin was not in these chambers at nighttime. Gaius was being a fool by not telling him where he was. It was still his birthday and Gaius was playing silly games.

Finally, Gaius managed to get the drink down him and helped him to the extra cot near to the fire. He had the hardest time convincing him that he needed to remove his belt as it would dig into him when he was asleep. He wanted none of that, as he told Gaius in a conspiratorial whisper, "My trousers will fall down!"

Gaius assured him that the laces on his trousers would keep them up.

"OK!"

But when Gaius again tried to get him to part with his belt he wouldn't. He confided, "Gaius, Old Friend, I can't because, I will need it for my sword when I save Merlin."

In desperation Gaius said, "Suit yourself, but if you wake up tomorrow with the imprint of a belt buckle on your bottom, don't come crying to me."

"That sounds like a good plan and Gaius...if you see Merlin...tell him..." He toppled onto his side, dead to the world and was soon snuffling like a baby. Gaius got up and took a blanket and laid it over him tucking it in, in case he fell off the cot as he was now used to the royal sized bed.

Gaius thought, 'One down and one to go.' He smiled sadly, he realised that if Merlin had been in bed in his little chamber, everything would be alright with the world. He hadn't been, so it wasn't!

He lay down again and thought, 'He'll wake me up as he comes in.'

* * *

><p>Apart from the servants in the kitchens and those looking after animals, the castle slept in late. Many of the knights wouldn't wake until afternoon as the celebrations had gone on into the early morning. Today, the squires started their summer holidays for a fortnight. The newly invested knights started their holiday for a month and for many it was considered the end of the year.<p>

Gaius was up when the worried face of Daniel poked itself around the door. He breathed a sign of relief seeing the prince on the cot and Gaius mimed drinking to convey his master's condition. He whispered, "He'll be out for a few hours yet. Merlin and I will bring him back to you when he's able to walk straight."

Daniel left and Gaius realised that Merlin hadn't woken him up. He tiptoed up the stairs and peeked into the room, as empty as it had been the night before. Now, he had an unsettling feeling, Merlin was sensitive and his magic could make him highly strung. He knew there had been something wrong yesterday. He should have advised him to skip the banquet and turn in early.

* * *

><p>Merlin was chilled and damp. He had spent the night curled up under the royal stands. He knew of nowhere else to go. He had wanted to curl up in Arthur's little gold, red and white pavilion but he was worried about the impropriety, the forwardness of occupying a prince's personal pavilion. Why was life so hard!<p>

It was the sound of the men walking over his head, removing the throne, which had woken him. He had no idea what time it was but at least he knew where he was. He knew the when and the where but he was a little confused as to the how, the what and the why?

He crawled out the back and knelt pretended to fix the strap on his boot. One man glanced at him but paid him no heed. He walked back across the tournament grounds to the pump, got the water running and put his head under it. It was cold and woke him up. Some old chap said, "Good Morning, you must be one of the few without a hangover after the prince's birthday celebration. Heard it was a right royal party!"

Merlin smiled at the old fellow. The majority of the citizens of Camelot were friendly souls. He was feeling a little better and very hungry. He still had a job, well, he hoped he did, and he would just stay out of Arthur's way. That decided, he made his way to Gaius's chambers.

Coming up the last flight to the chambers, he thought he saw Daniel on his way down the corridor. He decided that as he was going to be in Gaius's bad books that he should tap on the door and wait for a command to enter. He tapped softly and heard a hushed, "Come in!"

He cracked open the door and put his head in ready to make a quick exit if something was thrown at him. Nothing was, so he slowly slid the rest of his body into the room. As soon as he saw the look on Gaius's face, he was shocked. Gaius looked so sad and only a little relieved at seeing him. He felt guilty.

Merlin reacted, as he would have to that look on his Mam's face, he walked across the room and allowed Gaius to hug him. It felt good. He'd been forgiven and Gaius still wanted him in his life.

At that exact moment, Arthur snored and Gaius, if he hadn't still had his hand on Merlin, would have lost him out of the door. "Sit! You and I have some talking to do before the sleeping beauty over there, wakes up."

"What happened? You seemed so happy here, always bubbly and in good spirits. I watched you at the tournament. You were really enjoying it until Arthur made eye-contact with you and you refused to look at him, ignoring him and dropping your head. What was that about? It was rude, Merlin."

"How did you see that?"

"I was standing at the end of the arena and could see both of you. Arthur looked for a second as if you had slapped his face, then regained his composure and left the arena. He swung around when he dismounted and tried again but you were looking back towards the castle.

Then, at his birthday celebration, you were beside me and I know that you saw him coming." Merlin went to say something but Gaius brushed him off, "Don't lie to me. You must have walked away. Merlin, what are you playing at?"

"Nothing. I don't want his attention. It's too difficult. I just want to be with you and learn from you. I don't want to be considered to be acting beyond my station and of being too forward, if I am with Arthur."

"Merlin, Arthur has been through some really rough times recently. Never, had he forgotten you. It was always 'that Merlin boy'. You were in so many of his conversations. Where did I think you lived? Would the two of you every meet up again? Would you still like him? Did you still grin? Why couldn't he find your village? Listen to me! Don't turn away from him now. Give it time, if it is supposed to be a friendship let it grow; if not let it die slowly and don't walk out on him as you did yesterday."

Gaius swung him around, "Look at him, he came here last night half dressed and drunk, worried about you. He accused me of hiding you away from him. He even talked about protecting you. Look at him!"

Merlin glanced at the sleeping Arthur, one hand thrown behind his head, the other across his chest, tucked into bed like a baby. Before he realised what he was doing, the nine year old in Merlin had walked forward smiling and brushed the hair off the sleeping eleven year olds forehead.

Turning to Gaius, his hand on Arthur's head, he grinned, "He's not so bad when he's fast asleep, is he?"

Gaius smiling to himself, poured some hot water in a pot and added oatmeal. Breakfast as usual.

Arthur finally stirred in time for lunch. Merlin watched him as he woke up. He opened his eyes saw where he was and sighed, closing them again. Then they flashed open and he sat up. He put his hand to his head and said, "Ooh!" and promptly closed his eyes and fell back.

Merlin walked over and sat on the cot. "Rough night, Arthur?"

Arthur turned and his face lit up. "I thought you were gone!" He closed his eyes, thought for a while and then continued, "What was wrong yesterday, Merlin? Were you disappointed with me when I didn't win the jousting? Is that why you dropped your eyes and didn't return my smile? That hurt. I'd done my very best..."

Merlin swallowed, "I thought that you were brilliant but I have to be careful as I am a servant and you are the crown prince. You shouldn't look at me like that, it will cause people to talk."

Gaius decided to let them work it out by themselves. He just kept working at his table, they both knew he was there and obviously trusted him.

"But, I am allowed to have my own friends."

"Not from my class! Your father would send me packing or even worse... Your friends must come from the knights like Romney and the senior squires like Spenser."

"But I feel that _you_ are the friend I want, can't we just keep going the way we have. Gaius, Daniel and Sir Leon don't see anything wrong with your eating in my chambers."

"True, but some other people do."

"Who?"

"...people who know all about protocol and propriety. Arthur, they don't want me to call you by your name. It has been suggested that I call you Sire or Prince Arthur. I may only use your name when I am with certain people like Gaius and Sir Leon."

"Fuck them! It's my name and if I want you to use it, you will! No one can tell me, whom I can allow to call me by my own name! How would you like it if I called you Boy or Servant? It's not your name, you are Merlin now and forever. Unless I get cross with you and then I might call you..." He thought for a minute and said, "Peregrine. Get it Merlin, Peregrine another falcon?"

"I got it. But knowing you, it would more likely be Buzzard!" Merlin smiled happily. Arthur it was! He would be careful but forever, he would be Arthur to him. No Sire or Prince Arthur, yes, he might have to sometimes hide behind those titles but when they were with friends, he would be his Arthur.

Gaius shook his head, he recognised Merlin's references to the people who had told him to be careful. It was Geoffrey and he. He now knew what had caused all the troubles, Merlin had felt that they were forcing him to pull back from Arthur. They hadn't intended that, they were trying to forestall any future problems. If the boys felt so strongly about names, let them make the decision and just be careful.

* * *

><p>Merlin's life settled into a routine with Gaius. He ran messages for him, delivered salves, tonics and the like. He accompanied him when he went to pick herbs from his little section of the kitchen vegetable garden or further afield when they collected wild varieties.<p>

He was now quite comfortable in the castle. He knew many of the shortest routes between two points, thanks to the coaching from pages like Daffyd. He usually came back in the quickest time that was unless he was distracted and sometimes he was.

One day after dropping off books at the library, taking an article of clothing to the laundry, chatting with some of the laundry maids and getting caught by guards as he made his way on a shortcut through the bowels of the castle, he heard a pitiful crying. Being Merlin, a truly loving soul, he stopped and located the sound. He walked into a tiny dead end corridor and found a little girl, sitting in the corner, crying her heart out.

He walked over and not wanting to frighten her unduly, started to hum. The sound penetrated her brain and she looked up. He smiled and that gesture of kindness caused her to start crying again. He plonked himself down on the ground beside her and said, "I'm sure that together, we can right, what is wrong." She looked up at him and shook her head. "Well then," Merlin continued, "You tell me what it is and maybe, I will think of an idea."

In fits and starts, she told how her mother had been accused of sorcery and the king had had her burned at the stake. She wasn't a sorceress, just a woman who helped deliver babies and looked after children and people."

Merlin felt a shiver go down his back, she was describing his mother, "But, how did you get here?"

"I came with my big brother but we were separated during the tournament and I can't find him."

Merlin stood up. "Come along, I know someone who can help find your brother." He put out his hand and pulled the girl into a standing position. She was really small and he figured she was no older than eight. "I'm Merlin and whom do I have the honour of addressing?"

She giggled, giving a shy smile and said, "Dove."

"Well, there you are then, we were meant to meet as we are both called after birds."

Putting his arm around her shoulders, he led her to the one person he knew who could solve all problems.

"Gaius!"

"Merlin, what in heaven's name has taken you so long? Three people have been searching for you. Spenser obviously has nothing to do and wanted you to join him, presumably to also do nothing. I told him I didn't know where you were. Then Sir Romney is going to Eaglescrag this afternoon and wondered if you would like to tag along as he has three pages with him. He said to tell you that the scenery is great and he wanted some adult company and finally Daniel dropped by to say that the prince was bored and could he see you."

Gaius, looked at Merlin and smiled, "Didn't realise that my assistant had such a busy social calendar."

Merlin shrugged. In order of preference, he'd like to join Sir Romney on an outing, maybe taking Spenser with him and last but not necessarily least, deal with Arthur. Then he got a brilliant idea. Maybe Arthur and Spenser would like to get away from the castle with Romney. He knew he'd like that. Then he remembered the little girl, he had left standing outside Gaius's door. He realised she'd be frightened by herself.

"Gaius, I have a problem can I bring her into the chambers?"

"Not, if it's alive and covered with feathers or even fur. I am a human physician. Arthur always brought me all sorts of injured and sick things, why one day we had a kid in the little courtyard as its mother had died and the farmer had wanted to dispatch...

As Gaius droned on, Merlin had gone to the door and pulled in the little girl and stood her in front of him and then looked up at Gaius.

Gaius's jaw dropped. "Oh, Merlin, not you too!"

"Gaius, it's not what you are thinking." Merlin smiled and shook his head at him. "I found her downstairs. She's been separated from her brother and is lost."

Merlin thought it had probably seemed strange to see him standing with a little girl but really, did Gaius think he was stupid. His Mam had taught him well. That was one thing in which he had absolutely no interest. He had thought that Gaius knew him better than that after all these months. A wife and the married life were not in his future, well, not in his immediate future.

Gaius then recognised the girl. She and an older boy had been in the courtyard, months ago when another innocent woman was killed because she was a healer. They had caught his attention as they had clung to each other never speaking a word, eyes huge and faces vacant of emotion. He'd tried to find them later but they had wandered off with the crowd.

He beckoned the girl over saying, "...and who do we have here?"

"Dove, sir."

"And what is your brother's name?"

Dove's eyes filled up with tears and she whispered, "Tommy!"

"Well, Dove, sit by the fire and we are going to see about finding your Tommy. What does he like to do?" Gaius knew that during the summer tournament, lots of jobs were available for young people who wished to earn a few coppers.

"He likes horses. He wanted to work for a knight."

Gaius smiled and thought, 'Didn't every kid who liked horses want to work for the knights?' He turned to Merlin and said, "Go to the stables and see if any extra boys were working there over the last couple of days, who might still be hanging around. Then find Spenser and the two of you visit all the stables in the lower town, inns, alehouses and even blacksmiths and see what you can turn up. Go, now."

Turning to the little girl, he said, "You my dear, look as if a big bowl of oatmeal might be just what you need."

Dove looked up and smiled.

Just after lunch, Spenser and Merlin returned with one very quiet boy in tow. Dove jumped out of her seat and threw herself at 'her' Tommy.

Gaius said to Merlin, "If you and Spenser still want to go off with Romney, you've got time. Go to the stables and meet him there. I'll look after these two.

"...and Arthur?"

Gaius said knowingly to Merlin, "If the crown prince can't find something to amuse himself in all of Camelot, why does he think that you might be able to?"

Merlin and Spenser left and Gaius mixed some more oatmeal for Tommy.

By the end of the afternoon, Gaius was feeling quite pleased with himself. He had found a job as a Castle Farm stable boy's assistant for Tommy, advancement was guaranteed for a capable lad and food and accommodations were provided.

Dove had been introduced to Lady Elizabeth's maidservant who was a friend of Tilly. She had her hands full with the arrival of her mistress's twin boys. She agreed that she could use all the help available and was pleased to have the opportunity to train a young girl to her standards. Dove would also receive accommodation and food. More importantly, they knew where each other was working and they could see each other.

Feeling exceptionally pleased with himself. Gaius poured a little mead and took himself out into his courtyard to enjoy the late afternoon sun. He couldn't bring back their beloved mother but he was able to give them a safe place to live and opportunities which many other young people would have loved.

Merlin returned to find Gaius setting the table. He had had a wonderful afternoon, loved the company of the knight, the squire and the pages, who were hilarious. He'd also been very impressed with the horse he had ridden. A little chestnut gelding, so much more responsive than the big farm horse which he had sometimes ridden bareback in Ealdor. He decided that he might ask Arthur if he could borrow a horse and do some more riding.

He was pleased to hear that Gaius had been able to find placement for the two children. He reminded himself that if ever in the future, he should have a problem which he felt was way beyond his abilities to fix, he knew someone who had problem fixing down to an art.

He smiled at Gaius and went to get the trays from the kitchen worker when he tapped on the door. He was hungry. Then he momentarily wondered, if Arthur had found anything to alleviate his boredom...


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8 : A BUMP ON THE HEAD**

Uther, Arthur and several knights were standing in the courtyard not far from the portcullis. It was hot and sunny so they had pulled back into the shade. Gaius with Merlin behind him, had arrived and joined the group. Merlin kept his head bowed as he always did anywhere near the king. He felt that maybe he would see his magic if he looked into his eyes.

Paranoid was all Gaius would say...

Not paying any attention to any of the conversations, he realised that Arthur was standing next to Gaius. He was looking at how shiny Arthur's boots were, Daniel must be an excellent manservant.

He was conscious of a shift in the air and then a fine powdery substance floated down. Looking up, he figured a maid had shaken a cloth out of a window, then he heard a rumble, followed by the yell from a guard, "Look out!"

He heard a crack, followed instantaneously by another shower of what he realised was mortar. He dived towards Arthur grabbing and clasping his head and rolling both of them over so that he landed on his back with Arthur's full weight on him. The prince's head was tucked into his chest and Merlin's arms were wrapped tightly around him. There was an awful thud which shook the ground; a large chunk of masonry had fallen damaging the cobble stones where Arthur had been standing. The jagged end had pierced the ground and they had all been showered with shards of stone.

Someone screamed. Uther had dropped to his knees at the sound of the impact of the stone as had Gaius who was the closest to the stone. Slowly, people looked around. Sir Leon offered his hand to the king and Sir Rodik did the same to Gaius who realised that Merlin was nowhere to be seen and then he realised that Arthur was sprawled on top of him. His head cushioned on Merlin's chest.

Neither was moving. Gaius went down beside them as did Sir Leon and as he did Arthur disentangled himself and raised his head and looked at Merlin's face, inches away. He could feel his breath against his cheek. He was dead to the world. He dropped his head back on his chest but then pushed himself upright, straddling him in a kneeling position, calling out "Gaius, do something!"

Uther walked over and said, "Arthur, are you alright? You were lucky, you could have been lying dead."

To Gaius, he said, "Your assistant was quick on his feet!"

But Arthur was more interested in what Gaius was trying to do. He lifted Merlin's head and there was a puddle of blood on the cobble stones. Arthur whipped off his red cloak and folded it, to pillow his friend's head wrapping the rest over his upper body.

Uther said, "Arthur, that's hardly necessary, he's a servant!"

Rupert walked over and said to Gaius, "Let me help."

Gaius shook his head and said, "Leave him where he is for a few moments, I think he might come round."

Uther said, "Rupert, don't get involved. Let Gaius look after the boy. Arthur, Rupert, we'll continue talking in my chamber." When Arthur didn't move, he said, "Now, Arthur! Get up!"

"But father, he saved my life."

"Yes, I know, I'll give him something for his troubles."

Gaius had noticed, even if Arthur hadn't that he was hanging onto Merlin's hand. He looked up, realising Gaius had seen it, and said, "He saved my life..." and put Merlin's hand onto his cloak, saying quietly, "I'll come to see him as soon as I can."

"Don't worry Arthur; I won't let anything happen to him"

Arthur gave one of those rare only-for-Gaius smiles, which Gaius loved and said, "I know you will..."

He swung his leg over him and knelt beside him. Rupert leant over and gave Arthur a hand up. The sentries had arrived to help but Leon and Rodik stepped forward and offered to take Merlin to the infirmary. He was beginning to moan and Gaius waited until he was able to tell him that he had no trouble in his back or neck before he allowed anyone to help him up.

The little procession made its way to Gaius's chambers, the knights chatting that they had never seen anyone move so quickly and manage to turn Arthur, who was no lightweight, so that they took the impact of the fall and cushioned the prince.

Merlin was put on the extra cot in Gaius's main room and Leon looked at him and said, "Good job, young man; Uther is in your debt for saving his son." Merlin either didn't hear him or didn't think that it was worth a verbal acknowledgement. He just gave Leon a small smile.

Finally, when it was just the two of them, Gaius swung the kettle over the fire. He needed something to drink. That could have been a tragedy if Merlin hadn't realised what was happening and hadn't moved when he did.

He looked over at Hunith's son who had wormed his way into his heart and said, "I think Merlin, that you have a friend for life. Arthur will never forget what you did for him today. Neither will Uther."

"Will I get a reward? Will I? What do you think his life is worth, a couple of coppers or maybe a silver piece?"

Gaius smiled and said, "As the man who raised him, you have my undying gratitude." Then he lowered his voice and said, "I'm afraid to ask but...would there have been magic involved?"

"Better you shouldn't know..." said Merlin with a grin.

The kettle had boiled, Gaius made an infusion with calming herbs and Merlin said that he was cold on the cot and would prefer as he felt well enough to sit in the chair by the fire. Gaius made sure that there was a pillow on the seat as Merlin carefully lowered himself onto it.

"Look, one of the knights forgot his cloak."

"No, it's Arthur's. He put it under your head as a pillow and you bled all over it."

Merlin smiled guiltily and said, "Oops!"

Gaius noticed he was shivering. Putting the folded cloak back over him as it was going to have to go to the laundry anyway and putting a pillow at his head, Gaius encouraged him to rest, insisting that he tell him if he had any pain or felt nauseous from the knock on his head. Gaius banked up the fire. He looked at Merlin and thought that he had never realised how well red went with his skin tone and hair. Gaius then sat in the chair on the other side of the fire.

Soon Merlin was dozing and Gaius was snoring softly and that was how Arthur found them when he got out of the meeting with his father.

He quietly pulled up another chair next to Merlin and watched him sleep. His red cloak was tucked around his ears and across his mouth and his breath made the edge of it quiver and he could see his chest rising steadily. He's never been able to watch him at rest. He saw that he had very long eyelashes and this all on top of being a hero. He was suddenly conscious that Merlin had opened his eyes and was watching him back. He pulled back and said, "Thanks..."

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer chap." said Merlin with a smile. "You know, you are really very heavy. I'm surprised; I didn't split like a tomato when you crashed down on me."

Gaius stirred as they were laughing.

Arthur said, "I sent Daniel for supper. You and I, Gaius are going to eat regular food but this little convalescent is going to have bread soaked in hot milk with a little honey." Merlin pretended that he was going to vomit. Arthur laughed, "No kidding, I just ordered something light for you like scrambled eggs. Anyway, I'm sure there is going to be plenty for all of us, so if you feel alright you can also have some of what we are having."

With that, he stood up and cleared off the table, putting the mugs near the washing up bowl and went to the cupboard and got some goblets, spoons and knives. Merlin smiled, he knew his way around the place and then he remembered that for the first ten years of his life these chambers had been Arthur's home.

Arthur told him that his father had been furious about the falling stone and someone was going to be in trouble as the castle was supposed to be kept in top condition. He laughed, telling them that the king had told people that it might have fallen on one of the horses. "Guess that shows, where I stand in the rank of importance."

"If you had seen his face when he turned and saw that jagged rock where you had been standing, you would realise, Arthur, that he ranks you above any horse." Gaius said.

"But no too far above that big, black horse he rides," Merlin had to add.

"Well, I'll have you know, that's Solomon and he belongs to me as well. One day, when I was around four, Gaius took me to the stable to see Tilly's husband Tom, I saw this horse and..."

But he was interrupted by a tap on the door, it was Daniel and two of the kitchen staff arriving with food. The servers looked at Merlin in awe as the news had gone round the castle that the court physician's assistant had saved the life of the crown prince right in front of the king.

Daniel arranged the food on the table and handed Merlin his bowl of scrambled eggs with a smile and said quietly to him, "Thanks!"

Merlin said back, "Do you think he was worth saving?"

"Yes, Merlin, I certainly do!"

The voice of authority spoke from the other side of the table, "Now that the two of you have finished discussing my importance, Daniel, take the rest of the evening off. The trays can be left outside the door so someone can pass by later tonight.

"Thank you, Sire." He nodded at Gaius and Merlin and left them to their meal.

"This is fun like old times, isn't it Gaius. We should do it more often."

When Merlin moaned putting his hand to his back, Arthur turned on him saying, "Not that, I mean eating here together."

Gaius smiled.

* * *

><p>By the next morning, the news was all around the castle and people who didn't even know Merlin, were claiming that they did and that they had always know that he was a brave soul.<p>

Merlin woke up in his own little chamber with a sore back, a tender head and a slightly stiff neck. Gaius had given him something to help him sleep and he had had a good night but he knew that he wouldn't be doing any heavy lifting today.

He was very stiff and couldn't really get comfortable sitting in the chair at the table. He managed to eat his porridge and Gaius gave him another pain relieving draught. His head was tender to touch and he wanted to wash his hair as it felt sticky when he touched it.

Gaius said, "No washing it yet and stop touching it!"

"I can't..."

"Merlin, if you have to tie your hands to the chair do so but until I have checked it, no touching it. I'm going to get some fresh water."

Arthur arrived on his way to his meeting with Sir Leon. He poked his head around the door and said, "Is he alright?"

Merlin said with a grin, "He is!"

"I was so scared in case you had had a relapse or something during the night."

"I don't think Gaius would have allowed that to happen," said Merlin laughing. "He's being mean, as he won't let me wash my hair. Oh, by the way I'm sorry about your cloak."

"Not a problem, Daniel can take it down to the laundry. They will be impressed to be removing hero's blood."

Gaius walked in followed by Spenser with a bucket of water. "Good morning, Sire! Merlin, you're a hero! The squires are really impressed that I know you. How does it feel?"

"Sore!"

"No...not that, to be a hero?"

They all laughed and Gaius said that Spenser should get back to his classes.

Merlin said, "Thanks for visiting, I'll be signing autographs later this afternoon." Spenser smiled and left.

Gaius put some water on to boil and mixed up fresh salve for the incision. The fumes reached Merlin and he said, "You're not putting that ponging stuff on my head, Gaius!"

"Let's put it this way, unless I put it on you will not be washing your hair for a long time.

"Come on, Merlin. The sooner it heals the sooner you will be able to wash it," Arthur said joining in the conversation.

"Fold you arms on the table and put your forehead on them." Gaius took a knife and shaved off a little of his hair.

A muffled voice said, "Don't make me bald!" Merlin could feel him touching his scalp and it was tender.

Arthur suddenly said, "Hey Merlin, I can see your brain, guess you're not as stupid as you sometimes let on."

Gaius said, "Arthur!" Then added, "...and you stop laughing as well, this salve is difficult to make so you must stay still, till I get it on."

There was a tap on the door and the page Gavin walked in, "Sire, Sir Leon says he expects to see you in the squires' quarters immediately." Turning to Merlin he said, "Merlin, are you having an operation?"

Gaius looked up and said to both of them, "Out!"

Arthur laughed, "See you later, Merlin. Come on, Gavin, the show's over."

Gaius finished working and Merlin admitted that his scalp felt better. Gaius wanted to bandage his head but Merlin refused. "Fine, no going any further than the chamber door but you can sit out in the courtyard if it gets warmer today. I want to be able to check it periodically for any fresh bleeding."

Lunch arrived, delivered by Daniel who said. "Prince Arthur asked me to take care of your supper tonight as well. He's dining with his father and some advisors so he will drop by after supper. He said to say that it will be late." He left with the prince's cloak.

Merlin felt sleepy after lunch and Gaius said that it was probably the pain medication. He wrapped a blanket around himself and lay on the second cot on his side so he could watch and talk to Gaius. Soon, his eyes closed and Gaius could hear that his breathing had evened out, he looked over and smiled at the young hero, fast asleep with his cheek resting on his hands. He walked over and threw another blanket over him.

Finally Gaius sat by the fire and thought about yesterday. In one foul swoop, he could have lost Arthur and Merlin if Merlin hadn't acted as quickly as he had. He could still see the large piece of stone that could quite easily have fallen on them as Merlin was moving Arthur out of its path. He wondered if Uther really understood how close he had come to losing his son and how he probably had to thank magic for his survival!

* * *

><p>True to his word, Arthur dropped by after his dinner. "I don't think he realises how unbelievably lucky I was that you were close to me. Can you imagine if neither of us was here right now. Sorry Gaius, I'm not being morbid but there is so much in life that I wish to experience."<p>

"It's funny, but one thing I would have liked to have done before I died would have been to return to Ealdor to see my Mam one more time. How about you Arthur?"

"I don't know, maybe be the Best Jouster at the Summer Tournament." A pillow hit him in the head.

"Something serious, Silly!"

Gaius looked up, Merlin was getting a bit too personal for his liking but Arthur was smiling and obviously didn't mind and was quite happy being hit in the head, if Merlin was launching the missile.

"There must be something in your life that you would have wanted to do, given the chance."

Arthur looked down and suddenly became serious. "I think it would probably have been, to tell the most important person in my whole life, how thankful I am that he thought enough of a little baby boy to bring him to his chambers and raise him."

Gaius looked up and smiled. Merlin wished that he had been miles away, this was serious and between the two of them. He stayed perfectly still and Arthur did something which Merlin had never seen him do, he got up walked over to where Gaius was sitting and gave him a hug. Merlin felt his eyes fill with tears.

"Thank you, so much, Gaius! Without you, I would not be here with you and Merlin who is crying!"

Arthur reached over and punched him in the shoulder and said, "Good one, Merlin!"

Merlin sniffed and said, "I'm not, it's the medication isn't it Gaius?" Gaius just laughed.

"Right...!" said Arthur giving Merlin a little grin which made Merlin's heart beat double time.

* * *

><p>After a couple of days, Merlin's head was feeling a lot better. Gaius told him that if he was careful and used warm water, he could wash his hair very carefully around the incision. He did so. He felt better but he was fascinated with the rough feeling of the new hairs coming in. Reminded him of a pig, he had once touched, the roughness not the dirt thankfully. It felt funny and he wanted to continually play with the bald spot. Gaius would glare at him and soon the novelty wore off as the longer the hairs became, the less they felt like stubble.<p>

He even had let Arthur touch them. He felt funny having Arthur poke around in his hair, not funny peculiar but funny nice... Arthur felt that they were like a beard growing in the back of his head. He said that he hoped it would be the same colour as he had known a knight who following an accident had a patch of white hair on one side of his head.

Merlin almost hurt his neck trying to see the back of his head in the mirror but Gaius checked and said not to worry as the hair growing in, was brown. He breathed a sign of relief.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9 : THE KING DECREES**

Gaius had supper with Humphrey who mentioned Arthur's unwillingness to choose a permanent manservant. "He needs to make the decision because Daniel was really only on loan. It would make things a lot easier if he had someone who could be trained by Daniel and then take over. It isn't good leaving things undecided as with a royal hunt coming up, we will need all the staff we can to help with the guests."

Gaius agreed to mention it to Arthur.

Five days following the falling stone incident, the knights were in a weekly planning session with the king and his advisors including Gaius.

At the end of the meeting, Uther announced that a couple of days ago, his son had escaped being fatally injured by the quick thinking of the young man who assisted Gaius. It was his intention to reward that person by giving him a place in the royal household.

The knights were impressed that was quite an honour. They knew who the person was but they waited for the king to announce which position the lucky man would receive. The king looked at Arthur and smiled saying that it was his decision that Arthur have as his manservant Gaius's assistant.

Arthur was unprepared, how dare the king make Merlin into a manservant. Wanting to avoid that possibility, he said, "But Sire, he knows nothing of castle life." Arthur didn't understand why he felt he had to disagree with his father but he just knew he did. He felt uncomfortable as if his father with one word had taken away a possible friend and burdened him at the same time with an inexperienced servant.

Gaius turned to Merlin who seemed oblivious of the fact that to be manservant to the Crown Prince was an exceptional honour.

Merlin thought, 'I didn't come to Camelot to play housemaid to the son of a king who hates magic. I came to learn from Gaius and help him in his work. Not that I have anything against Arthur but come on, bed making and room tidying is hardly a challenge!'

Gaius gave him a nudge sending him forward. The king beamed never thinking that the honour was not accepted by the recipient in the same spirit in which it had been bestowed.

Arthur looked embarrassed. Gaius looked worried. The knights applauded vigorously. The king acknowledged their approval and Merlin, well Merlin wished he could disappear in a puff of smoke.

He looked across at Arthur and seeing the look of annoyance on his face became worried. He liked Arthur but being thrown into such close contact might cause problems as they hardly knew each other. He also knew that being subservient was not one of his personal talents.

Arthur looked across at Merlin and felt saddened. He saw him slipping away into that no-man's land of servitude. He realised what his life would now be and sadly thought, 'Merlin clean my armour, make my bed, serve my meal and stand watching me eat!' He didn't feel at all comfortable.

Merlin looked at Gaius who tried to smile at him. He realised how Gaius felt, he didn't want to be forced to leave him either and at that moment regretted saving Arthur. Then he felt mean and despicable, he didn't regret saving the prince. He would have saved him regardless but he minded that there was no way of declining the questionable honor which had been bestowed!

He stood next to Gaius for the remainder of the meeting and didn't raise his eyes. He couldn't fathom the look on Arthur's face and he would rather not see it than try to understand it.

Some of the knights whom he knew, congratulated him on his advancement. He wanted to say, 'Some improvement, having to pick up after a slob.' He'd been in Arthur's chambers, he knew that Arthur had no idea of being tidy not that he himself was tidy but at least, he knew that things should be hung up or put away.

Maybe, he could just leave Camelot early tomorrow morning and have Gaius suggest someone else who would be willing to take him on as an assistant. He came out of his daydream with a start as he heard Gaius say, "Yes, Sire, that is quite an honour. I believe he is a little surprised by it and momentarily speechless."

"Well, he can start tomorrow!" said the king.

Merlin cringed. Damn Arthur, standing in the way of a piece of falling masonry, it was all his fault! Without acknowledging either the king or the prince, he followed Gauis out of the Council Room.

All hell broke loose when they arrived in the privacy of his chambers. Merlin was practically in tears from the injustice and frustration of being unable to any longer control his own life. "How could he Gaius? I don't belong to him?"

"Merlin, you are a resident of Camelot and as such you must obey the wishes of the king."

"Then, I'll leave!"

"And what would that accomplish? I'd never be able to see you and your mother specifically requested that I keep an eye on you."

"But not as a servant, Gaius, as your assistant!"

Merlin, there is a certain honour in being the manservant to the Crown Prince!"

"Not for me, there isn't."

"You told me he was nice and that you liked him, doesn't that count?"

"I like horses but I don't want to be a groom!"

"That's not a very generous comparison to make"

"Well, horses are better than..."

There was a tap at the door and an upset Crown Prince walked in. Merlin swung on him, "If you think that I'm going to bow to you just because your father the king literally gave me to you, you have another thought coming, Arthur!"

Gaius said, "Merlin, that was unnecessary!"

A subdued voice, said, "No, it wasn't. I'm sorry it turned out like this. I can't say that I'm sorry that you saved me but I would never have insulted you by asking you to be my servant."

Gaius said, "Arthur, it was not an insult, you father was showing Merlin how he appreciated his fast thinking."

Merlin suddenly realised that maybe it wasn't exactly what Arthur wanted either and his said, "Sorry, I was being rude. I know it wasn't your idea and I guess we will just have to muddle through it and..." he laughed, "Maybe, muddle will be the operative word!"

Gaius decided to step in on that note and offered Arthur some cider which he accepted. The three of them sat around the table and Arthur had a brilliant idea. Tonight, the two of them would dine in his chambers as his guests, the man whom he had always looked upon as a father and his assistant whom he was soon going to have as a manservant. The future was going to be really strange to say the least.

Merlin sneaked a look at Arthur and smiled and Arthur in return giggled and then they both lost in completely.

Two young men thrown together by a chance of fate and maybe on one side a love of merlins...

* * *

><p>Arthur found that Merlin was not offensive in any way. So, when his father had offered him to him as a manservant, he had added privately to his son, that if he didn't want him, he could choose someone else from the household staff. Arthur felt as much like getting used to some stuffy old chap so he looked at Merlin and decided that there might be something different in having a manservant closer to his own age.<p>

Humphrey had explained to Merlin the general idea of dressing royalty. The Prince stood still and the dresser moved around him, placing clothes on him and doing up laces, belts clasps and the like, checking that everything fell evenly and was matching.

Arthur was a little confused by Merlin. He did not seem in the least impressed with his position in Arthur's retinue. The idea that Arthur at two years his senior, couldn't dress himself had caused him to burst out laughing much to Humphrey's dismay.

"Where I come from, the six year olds can dress themselves. Did no one ever tell you that you are old enough to do it yourself?"

Arthur glared, very close to slapping his face for insubordination and he then realised Merlin was not being cheeky, he just didn't know anything about the life of royals. He just turned his back and raised his eyebrows at Humphrey.

"Sire, I can send up the best of the manservants, they would be only too thrilled to have the opportunity to serve you as a member of the Royal Household Staff. It is an honour, Sire"

Merlin spoke up, "Arthur, I didn't mean that I didn't want the job, I was just surprised that you needed help getting dressed." Gaius had tried to impress upon him last night what an honour it was to be named a manservant to the prince and how proud his mother would be that he had landed a job so soon after arriving.

Arthur turned back to Merlin, there was that strange fluttering in his chest, he decided then and there that he would keep him on and they would sink or swim together. Anyway, it would give Gaius and him something to laugh about as if this progressed as it had so far, there should be many misunderstandings and comedies along the way.

Anyway, he could always replace him at a later date.

The first time that Arthur was dressed solo by Merlin, he had to stifle his laughter as Merlin was clueless as to which garment went in which order. Left to himself, Merlin would have sent him out with a silk under tunic over the outer tunic, because he felt the material was preferable to the woolen tunic. His belt was at a jaunty angle as he thought he would have liked to wear it that way himself and it reflected the light better that way.

He liked Arthur's ring on his index finger better than his thumb and told him to try to keep out of mud and puddles to keep his boots clean.

Arthur sitting on the bed, stifled a laugh as Merlin on the floor in front of him struggling with his other boot, had said quite seriously, "I mean it, Arthur...Sire."

Arthur was impressed, he'd actually called him Sire without needing to be prompted.

Merlin did whatever was asked of him without grumbling too loudly, though sometimes, Arthur had to laugh at his interpretation of how the jobs were to be done.

He tried to swill down Arthur's room as you would a stable yard and was most annoyed when the flagstones never dried and the large puddles of water had to be mopped up, the mop wrung out and the buckets of dirty water taken outside. He had suggested to Arthur that if he removed his boots at the door, the floor would stay cleaner. That didn't fly at all, and he felt a dirty mop hit him across the backside.

"You know, I only have one pair of these," he said pointed at his trousers, "...and they have to last. That was not right, Arthur...Sire!"

"Get over it, if you don't smarten up, you can wear a skirt and I won't expect as much of you if you are dressed as a girl!"

"I'm going to tell Gaius what you said. It reflects the lax manner in which you were raised."

'Damn him,' thought Arthur, 'He has a way of twisting things so I always come out as the bad guy.'

Finally they reached the point, where Merlin settled nicely into Arthur's normal routine. Some days, he would sit quietly in the library waiting for Arthur's meetings to conclude before returning to his chamber to serve lunch. Other days, he begged mornings off once he had done his chores in the bedchamber, to help Gaius.

Gaius was impressed, Merlin seemed to have accepted his subservient position without too much resistance...or maybe not.

* * *

><p>"I will not get down on my hands and knees to climb under your dirty bed because in a tantrum, you threw a boot at me and it missed and went under the bed!"<p>

"Why is it dirty under my bed?

"Because it is!"

"No, Merlin because you have been remiss and have not cleaned under the bed as is the responsibility of the crown prince's trusted manservant."

"Arthur, I am a manservant, not a bed-servant! He stopped dead and blushed in embarrassment.

Arthur watched in fascination as Merlin's cheeks turned pink and the uncontrolled colour spread slowly across his face becoming a glow which deepened into red. He knew that Merlin realised to what the slip of his tongue had referred.

"I didn't mean that, Arthur. I meant, I'm a manservant, not an under-the-bed servant."

With that slip of the tongue, Merlin had won the verbal contest. However, he had given Arthur ammunition to use against him. Subsequently, whenever he was ticked off with him, he referred to him with a wink of the eye as a bed-servant.

He went into the antechamber and returned with another pair of boots, his face was back to normal and he knelt in front of Arthur, smiling. He managed to find cleaners to do under the bed and Arthur was none the wiser.

* * *

><p>Merlin was coping well. He had free time which he really appreciated but he had to attend to Arthur at dinners in the dining hall and stand behind him to see to his every wish. Arthur wasn't a demanding man and they settled quite happily into their own routine.<p>

Merlin had found out from Daniel that he could call upon lesser servants to help him with his heavier chores.

No one however, but he, must touch the prince's bed or any of his clothes. Technically, he was not supposed to sit or lean against any of the furniture in the royal chamber but Arthur didn't care and often asked him to sit with him while they talked.

Arthur for all intents and purposes was his personal responsibility and he was beginning to enjoy the relationship between master and servant. He was privy to many of Arthur's thoughts which Merlin never shared, not even with Gaius. He knew whom among the knights he'd trust with his life and whom he disliked. He knew of his disappointment with his father's rejection of him and the empty space in his life left by his mother's absence.

Arthur shared with him his feelings about burnings at the stake and rampant killing of those accused but not tried. He knew that he was worried that one day he would be forced to marry to produce an heir and he hated the thought of his father choosing some woman because said union might be beneficial for two kingdoms. He said he would just feel used. Merlin knew that Arthur liked children but he also knew that deep down Arthur never thought that he would ever have one.

Life as a manservant had its ups and downs but Merlin enjoyed Arthur's company as did Arthur Merlin's.

They were well suited.

When things were rough for Arthur, Merlin always had little surprises to coax a smile or a laugh. Gaius had noticed that Arthur seemed on a more even keel and was coping better with his father's demands and life as crown prince in Camelot.

One day, Merlin burst into Arthur's chambers, yelling, "Arthur come and see!"

He dragged Arthur to the window and in the courtyard was a travelling show, with a court jester, singers, dancers, tumblers and mummers. Arthur turned towards Merlin and looked at his face and saw himself as a seven year old when a similar show had come to Camelot.

Arthur and he thoroughly enjoyed the week during which the show was set up on the training field. The atmosphere in the castle was light and people had smiles and greeted each other as they passed. Merlin was mesmerised by the illusionists who professed to do magic tricks. He could see through every single one of them and when he was by himself without Arthur, he used to add his own bits of magic and watch in shock as the men lost control of balls which refused to fall back into their hands or ladies' silk scarves which remained out of reach. The spectators loved it but one day, someone caught him by the ear and dragged him away.

First, he thought it was a guard who had seen his magic but he then realised it was Gaius, his face furious.

He was escorted back to the chamber and read the riot act.

"What were you thinking? Has your brain become addled? The king knows they are tricks and can see that they are. Your interfering might have cost someone his life. What every were you doing?"

Merlin sat at the table allowing Gaius to blow off steam. He waited, he realised that it was out of love that he was concerned. He was cross with himself that he hadn't thought it out before acting so irresponsibly. He hated making Gaius so upset and stressed.

Gaius ran out of steam, he looked across the table at this man who meant so much to him and smiled. "It's because I worry for you, Merlin. I'm cross at myself that I have not manage to sufficiently impress upon you, the dangers involved in playing with magic..."

Merlin got up and barred the door. He returned to Gaius, sat down and put his hands together in the middle of the table. He slowly opened them and filled the room with little bumblebees which flew around bumping into each other and suddenly they became fireflies which lit up as they landed on Gaius' arms, hands and hair.

Gaius was entranced; a smile lit up his face. This was Merlin at his finest. How he envied the boy his abilities yet at the same time fearing for his life!

The flames in the fireplace became green and blue and suddenly there was a lake nestled amidst mountains where previously there had been glowing embers.

He made miniature horses and knights which galloped all over the table. He made the castle in smoke and then blew it away. He smiled at Gaius and said humbly, "My own magic show just for you, Gaius."

Gaius looked at Merlin and suddenly he saw not a young man but one much older, still possessing magic and using it to protect someone very important in his life.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 : ARROW HEADS, OBEDIENT SPROUTS AND A DISCARDED HORSE**

Merlin had been with Arthur for just under a month. He had had run-ins with various people in Camelot mainly due to his friendly outspoken ways.

He's been in trouble with Arthur for taking exception to the prince's treatment of a squire assigned to him in training. Stocks!

He had decided that leftovers would be better used to scatter through the kitchen courtyard to feed various cats and mangy dogs than to be piled to rot on the rubbish tip. Stocks!

He had criticized the housekeeper for the way the young maids were forced to carry heavy buckets of water for baths and had actually offered to help one maidservant. Stocks!

Romney had taken him aside and explained that if the maidservant didn't do her job she would loose it and be out on the streets. He actually enjoyed this latest comer in Arthur's household.

The annoying thing was that most of the people who dealt with him were pleasant and usually ending up agreeing with him but adding that it was the rules of the castle so he had to try to follow them.

Uther now regretted assigning Merlin to Arthur. His son was too lenient with the boy and the boy was too familiar with Arthur. His son watched everything that his servant did and Uther had the impression that Arthur sometimes agreed with the boy's outlandish ideas. He'd give him another month and then he would be out, Gaius's assistant or not. Gaius was also a little soft over the boy. This was Camelot where the men were hardheaded and rough. No time for fools and silly beggars in the court!

Yesterday, sprouts had been served and Uther had watched in amazement as the boy after he had served them, had been told by Arthur that he disliked them. He had diligently removed each sprout, by taking Arthur's knife away from him and balanced each one on it until it cleared the table and he was able to put them in his own pocket. He had then obviously smiled as Arthur has smiled back and thanked him for the return of his knife. For God's sake, this was his son, the prince who would one day rule Camelot and he was interacting with a servant at supper. It was totally uncalled for but even Uther felt that the balancing of sprout after sprout on a knife without loosing one was an interesting talent, uncalled for in everyday living but none the less interesting.

Spenser was bowled over by him, he used to tell Arthur that he wished he was his brother as he was so much fun to be with, as he found great things to do with everyday objects.

It seems that one day, when Arthur was busy with the knights, Merlin and Spenser, had found some discarded arrow tips and pieces of cloth and they had made cute little skirts for them and launched them over the battlements behind the castle and they had floated to earth not unlike white parachutes.

All Arthur had said to Spencer was, "Good thing, the king and his knights hadn't been walking along and been attacked by these 'little girls'. I think Sir Rodney with an arrow tip in his skull might have been less amused."

Spenser's face fell, his father would have killed him. Arthur couldn't help saying, "But, I bet it was fun, wasn't it?" Spenser nodded but had visions of his mother wanted to know why he had attacked his poor father.

When Arthur saw Merlin later, he told him that he had an important and upsetting conversation which he wanted to have with him.

Merlin's smile dropped off his face and he said, "Arthur...Sire, I have been very careful today."

Arthur tried not to smile at the look on that beautiful face... 'Did I say beautiful...' he thought, 'No, I didn't. Did I? But the look on that annoying face, makes me want to laugh.'

"I just head from the Master of Weapons that a dozen or so arrow tips, waiting to be resharpened have gone missing."

Merlin's stomach clenched, "Oops!"

"I was also informed that the maids working on the rooms at the back of the castle had reported seeing unidentified floating objects passing the windows of the rooms they were cleaning. Any idea, what they might have been? You were seen on the ramparts, so maybe you also noticed them?"

Arthur was impressed. Merlin looked him straight in the eye and told him the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He never even mentioned that he was with Spenser.

He couldn't help it but the look of repentance and pleading to be forgiven was so open, that Arthur could do only one thing and that was to laugh. "Merlin, next time you decide to experiment with anything. Stop, run and get me so I can also have the fun of seeing girlie arrow tips floating to the ground!"

Merlin knew that he was forgiven and said grinning, "Certainly, Arthur!"

* * *

><p>For training in the afternoon, Arthur decided to use him as an extra squire. His inability to walk straight when watched, fascinated him. Was it just when he was glaring at him or was it on all occasions?<p>

Funny, how he could race down to Gaius's after work and yet have trouble keeping up with Arthur on the stairs. Ask him to carry armour and the armourer would have a job on his hands hammering out all the dents from a helmet bouncing downstairs as it escaped from Merlin's arms. Arthur had even , if no one was around, taken to walking behind him to catch things he dropped. His father would never have approved but that was between Merlin and him.

He was fascinated, he had never met such an individual, who was not rude but did not accept or maybe understand that servants and masters were not on the same level. He had taken to calling Arthur, Sir Arthur if he was training, Arthur thought it was funny almost cute, other did not.

Gaius had the hardest job explaining titles to Merlin. He had his own idea of which titles were suitable and stuck to them.

Merlin said one day, "Gaius, I need to see Sir Arthur."

"Merlin, he's Prince Arthur."

"No, he's not, he likes me to call him Sir Arthur!"

Gaius shook his head. They deserved each other as the two of them were nuts!

Arthur acknowledged to himself that there was something charming about this person. Well, in small doses he decided but the small doses in no time became insufficient. He wanted him near him...but no, he reminded himself, it was that Merlin as a manservant, needed to be near him. He hated sharing him with even Gaius which made no sense at all; Arthur would never have withheld from Gaius anything which he was able to give.

Arthur began to feel that attending his morning council meetings was a punishment as he knew that Merlin might be with someone else, be it Gaius or maybe another servant. Someone not him, was enjoying his company.

He didn't understand this possessiveness he was feeling. He was quite happy as long as Merlin was in his sight. He could be across the courtyard and that was fine, around the corner and it was not.

He wondered if he should discuss the feeling with Gaius. It was certainly something new to him to feel the need to have a particular person with him. He had plenty of company if he needed it, why then this strange need for a specific person.

Gaius was no help. He agreed that Merlin was a charming chap in a distracted way and he could see how he would soon have many friends in Camelot. Maybe if Arthur applied himself to his lessons and training, his new servant would not distract him as much. Had he considered choosing another servant? He was sure someone would snatch up the young man so Arthur wouldn't feel badly firing him.

Arthur didn't understand. Gaius didn't seem to understand either. Someone must be able to explain this mind numbing interest and need to be in a servant's presence.

Maybe Merlin was to blame. He had captivated Arthur's mind. That was it! He was trying to ingratiate himself into Arthur's life all because Arthur had made such a fuss over his name. Well, that would soon stop. He was going to be standoffish and demanding.

Merlin was oblivious to all Arthur's private problems. He behaved no differently now than he had in the first few weeks. He did the job and was his usual easy going self. He liked Camelot, he put up with Arthur's sometimes strange behaviour and he loved being with Gaius. Gaius knew him, there were no secrets between the two of them. Merlin knew he belonged here, the feeling was so intense that he knew his life would not be the same if he was separated from this wonderful place.

* * *

><p>Work was finished for the day and Merlin slowly made his way back to his room. He was tired, Arthur had been really difficult, demanding and withdrawn. He had made him stand still for nearly five minutes while he glared at him for forgetting that at supper with the king, he would change his over tunic into something more lightweight.<p>

Well, he began by glaring but then his eyes had softened and were almost half lidded. Merlin felt that if he had said 'Boo!' Arthur would have fallen out of the chair. He was miles away, sometimes a suspicion of a smile seemingly crossing his face, immediately to be replaced by a look of disapproval.

It wasn't that Merlin didn't like the position as he did. Arthur and he got on great and he could be charming and really quite amusing. Yet, there was an underlying tension or maybe not so much a tension as a undercurrent that there was something beyond, which neither of them were able to identify but which affected each moment they were together.

Arthur the following day, had almost apologized for the misunderstanding about the tunic. Merlin was surprised why make such a fuss over an insignificant happening. Then he realised, he was also apologizing for his making Merlin stand while he was being childish.

Two things did worry Merlin one was that he was spending nearly all his time with the son of a man who hated magic, the other was the punishments metered out because of it.

One day as they were sitting up on the battlements killing time, which was unusual in Arthur's hectic life. Merlin was talking about how different it was living in Camelot. He said that in his village justice was fair and almost no one was punished unless he was guilty but in Camelot that rule wasn't followed.

Arthur said, "How so?"

Merlin without thinking, launched into his disgust at how a man accused of healing a family member was burned to death as was the person he had healed.

Arthur saw this as a criticism of his father but over the years, he had also experienced difficulties with all the deaths.

Merlin instead of shutting up kept going. "Arthur, your standing on the balcony with your father seems as if you are condoning the punishment. Why don't you challenge the injustice of this especially when innocent children are involved?"

Well, Merlin got an earful.

"How dare you insinuate that the king is unjust. What do you know? You've been here for what eight months and already you know better than the king? What do you know about magic? Get out of my sight!"

Merlin scrambled up and walked slowly down the hill. He knew he'd stupidly let his heart control his head and put himself and possibly Gaius in trouble.

Merlin was only halfway down the grass and Arthur was regretting his outburst. They'd been having such a nice time and he'd blown it. The annoying thing was that he was sort of in agreement with Merlin. He hated seeing innocent family members killed but the one time that he had mentioned it to the king, he had refused to speak to him for three weeks and had threatened to throw him in the cells until he mended his ways and he had also questioned Gaius's raising of him.

Gaius bumped into Merlin on the stairs. He could tell by the look that he was in trouble. "Alright, what happened between you and your lord and master, to cause you to look so upset?"

"I blew it Gaius. I think I'm going to be fired." Then he told Gaius everything he had said and all that the prince had said to him.

"Not a good idea to criticize the king in his son's presence. Merlin, you are going to have to be careful, make it a rule to never discuss magic or any punishments of people using magic. Stay away from the subject."

"Will he want me back?"

Gaius shrugged. "Leave him alone until you help him dress for supper. He probably doesn't want to see you anyway. Give him time. Apologise for what you said and leave it at that. I know that in the past, he has often been upset with the beheadings and burnings but he doesn't know that you now know that as well. Keep quiet and get on with your job. If he one days brings it up, you can discuss it but be careful. Uther is a dangerous man and would not consider his son's or my feelings if he found out about you."

"Would Uther also hurt you if he found about about your magic?"

"Uther knows that many years ago, I did practice magic but that I am now a reformed character."

"Guess he doesn't know about your fire lighting skills then!"

"Merlin, you're not funny..." but he couldn't help smiling at this man who had brought joy into his life.

That evening Merlin apologized and Arthur nodded his acceptance. He had been relieved to see him as he felt that he might have decided not to work for him anymore.

Gaius was eating with the king and he smiled at Merlin once Arthur was settled in his chair. The two of them were still muddling along probably as they would for the rest of their lives. Gaius marveled that Merlin still had a job...

* * *

><p>One afternoon, Arthur decided he felt like going for a ride around Home and Castle Farms. He asked Merlin to lay out some suitable jackets and to notify Castle farm that he would be dropping by to see the youngsters. He suddenly turned and said, "...and, Merlin, I think I will need a servant with me so make arrangements for a palfrey for yourself."<p>

Merlin had no intention of tagging along after Arthur on a little horse, so when he went to the stables he looked over the choice of the horses used for staff. He saw a bay in the corner, looking bored out of its mind.

"Who is that?" he asked. The groom explained that it was a destrier which had been retired because following an accident in the jousting lists, it had lost confidence and as the groom confided, "It has become a coward."

Merlin remembered the number of times when he had felt unsure of himself since he arrived in Camelot and people like Gaius, Leon and even Arthur had given him the boost he needed to regain his confidence.

Before he realised it, he was asking if he could take that horse. "Sure," said the groom, "No one else ever wants him."

The horse was backed out of the stall and he stood head down, expecting the worse. Merlin walked up to him and put his arms around its head and placed his forehead against its skull and and said quietly, "Man's best friend is a horse." He stood back and ran his hand through its forelock and the horse butted him in the stomach. It allowed Merlin to run his hands up its ears. He traced its throat and its large flat cheeks, right down to its lower lip and it twitched in delight. He cupped its soft, velvety muzzle in his hands and blew gently into its nostrils.

Someone cared!

Merlin walked away to tell the groom to saddle it and have it ready with Ash. The horse whinnied after him and the groom said, "Well, that's a new one for him, he hardly pays any attention to anyone."

"Who else rides him?"

"No one wants to ride him, he's sort of a joke around here but he used to belong to Sir Rupert. He was injured and everyone felt sorry for him and he sort of just stayed on."

Merlin felt slightly cheeky as he said to the groom. "He could do with a good brushing and comb out his mane and tail, Prince Arthur won't want to go out with an ungroomed horse from the castle stables." Merlin laughed inside, 'Maybe, there were some perks to being the prince's manservant after all.'

He walked back to the horse and said, "I've chosen you to be my trusty steed. Do you think you could manage that? Do you have a name? Yes? Well I'll find out what it is because you and I are going to be friends."

Merlin left the barn and the horse again called after him. He heard the groom say, "What's got into you, boy? This is your lucky day... going to go out with Prince Arthur and his manservant. Behave yourself and don't worry, as I'm sure you'll be fine."

Merlin returned and told Arthur that he had arranged everything. He helped him dress and the two of them walked to the stables. Ash was brought out looking spectacular. Arthur turned and mounted her. Another horse was brought out, head held high, clean and interested in everything. Arthur rearranged his stirrups and looked up. He asked the groom which horse Merlin was riding. The groom pointed to the one he had in hand, Arthur looked at it and said, "It's a destrier, he should be on a palfrey."

"Sire, it's Sir Rupert's old horse, Gidun."

Arthur laughed and turned to Merlin saying, "They saw you coming!"

Merlin replied as he mounted, "No, Arthur," he leaned over and patted the horse's neck. "_He _saw me coming."

They walked out of the stable yard, well Ash walked and the bay did little two steps and danced around.

Arthur said, "That's not the same horse. After the accident, he was scared of his own shadow."

"Well, I don't think I'd want to make him ride down the lists towards on oncoming horse but he suits me just fine." With that he put his heels into Gidun and trotted off down the track to Home Farm.

Arthur caught up shaking his head, thinking. 'What was it with Merlin, he couldn't quite figure it out but obviously the horse had realised something as well.'

They had a good ride, saw the yearlings and Merlin was impressed with them especially Mulgan the bay.

Gidun and he went nose to nose over the fence and Mulgan gave a squeal and wheeled away across the field chasing the others as if showing off. The two riders just laughed at him.

The stable staff noticed a difference in Gidun, he had an interest in life again. Arthur referred to him as Merlin's horse as did the grooms. The word went out that the horse was the royal manservant's horse and off limits to anyone else.

On October the first of that year, Gaius had a gift for Merlin on his birthday. Geoffrey had made a sketch of Merlin on his beloved Gidun and Arthur had approached Sir Rupert and asked that Merlin be considered the new owner of a horse which had once been scared of its own shadow but with Merlin in the saddle was as brave as any other. Sir Rupert was only too happy to give Merlin the horse.

Merlin found out that Gidun was only eight years old and had been bred and schooled at Castle Farm. He had a good feeling that they would have many more years together. He trusted that the horse would look out for him if there was any trouble and Gidun trusted that Merlin would take care of him. He couldn't wait to tell his Mam that he had his own horse...


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11 : BATHING AND ELBOWING TO SUCCESS**

The two of them were getting along well. Still some hiccups as Merlin learned the ropes. One morning as Arthur breakfasted, he said that he'd like to have a bath. Merlin looked clueless. Where did Arthur go to have a bath? In Ealdor if the weather was warm, the boys with lots of shouting and fooling around, used to splash around in the pond otherwise they sluiced off under the pump. Merlin couldn't see Arthur splashing around making lots of noise.

Under the pretense of taking laundry and returning the breakfast tray, Merlin sought out Humphrey, who gave him a quick course on princely bathing in Camelot. He felt stupid as he hadn't realised that that thing upended against the wall in the alcove of the antechamber was called a bath. He felt more confident so he notified housekeeping that the prince wished to bathe. Humphrey nodded at him approvingly and went on his way. That in itself was a big mistake!

Merlin returned to the room and assured Arthur that he had arranged for his bath to be prepared. Soon the chamber was a hive of activity. The bath was carried close to the fire and placed on some big thick sheets. Menservants arrived with pails of hot water, filling the bath and lighting the fire to keep extra pails of water warm. Everything was ready.

Merlin put a stack of bath sheets on a bench within easy reach, a face cloth and some soap. The water was the right temperature and he told Arthur that his bath was ready.

"Well, I'll see you when you're all spanking clean," he joked as he went to leave the room.

He opened the door to leave but a voice said, "Excuse me, Merlin!"

He backed into the room, turned and said, "Yes?"

"I need to disrobe for my bath."

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to get in with your clothes on..." Merlin laughed, he thought that he was really clever with that remark. "And don't splash, too much as I don't want to have to clean up a soaking floor!"

He again made to leave the chamber.

"Merlin! Your job is to be my second pair of hands, which includes getting me ready for my bath!"

Damn! Merlin realised that Humphrey, hadn't explained that Arthur would need help getting bathed. He wondered to himself, 'What sort of a weakling were they raising as a crown prince?'

"I'm not getting out of the bath to get clean warm water to rinse myself off! You get the fresh pails of water from the fireside when I am ready for them."

Merlin blushed, he couldn't help it. He hoped Arthur hadn't noticed. He had! He saw him smile...he was enjoying Merlin's discomfort.

He went into 'second pair of hands mode' and helped Arthur strip off. He couldn't control his head or his heart which was doing crazy things. "Now place my clean smalls and freshly laundered clothes near the fire to warm." He did, turning away and sat by the fire waiting for Arthur to wash himself.

He was woken out of his self-induced reverie by a voice asking for clean water. He picked up a bucket and set it by the bath and using a pitcher poured clean warm water over a soapy Arthur.

"Towel! Merlin handed him a bath sheet and a smaller towel for his wet head. "Thank you...

He walked over to the fire and toweled himself dry. Putting on his under garments and trousers and lacing them up.

"Tunic!" Merlin handed him a fresh clean tunic. "Belt! Jacket!" He sat on the bed and Merlin put on his socks and boots. He looked up at him and couldn't help smiling, he looked all pink and new. Arthur mistook the smile and said, "Well, as you found that so entertaining, hopefully next time, you will be able to do it without prompts."

Merlin turned to the window and said under his breath, "Royal Bastard!"

"Pardon? Was that for my ears?" Arthur asked.

Merlin turned sweetly and said, "I said, 'Oil and bath tub'! But, now what happens to all the water?"

Arthur smiled, "It's not hard Daniel used to get rid of it in no time. There's a pitcher and a bucket so you just fill up the bucket and walk it down to the latrines, repeating the process until the bath is empty. I believe you then wipe out the bath and upend it somewhere. Alright?

Merlin's jaw dropped, it would take him all day to empty that much water. "Couldn't it just go out the window?"

"Merlin, we don't want the courtyard and any people below soaked with royal bath water, do we?"

But Arthur couldn't keep a straight face any longer and he started to laugh. Merlin realising that he was the brunt of the joke launched himself at Arthur. He was half way through the air when he thought to himself, 'This isn't a good idea, Merlin!'

Arthur had been in the process of standing as Merlin barreled into him.

Arthur slid down the bedpost and landed with a grunt on the floor, while Merlin knocked his head on the side of the bench and landed on top of him with his head on Arthur's chest. His head hurt, he put his hand to it but didn't move as he was quite comfortable then reality dawned and he knew that his position was not only inappropriate but embarrassing. Arthur grabbed his wrist. Merlin moved his head to look at him and saw fleeting emotions of pleading and then resignation. He panicked and moved his elbow back and levered himself into a sitting position but not before realising upon hearing Arthur's gasp, that his elbow had not been on the floor. He leapt up, his face the colour of a beetroot.

"Arthur, I'm...Oh god! Arthur, I'm sorry I didn't realise..." Merlin offered him his hand and hauled him up.

Arthur was hanging onto the bedpost. Merlin kept his hand at his elbow as he made his way to the window, wincing with every step.

"Can, I help. Is there something I can do?"

Arthur shook his head and shuddered, "No, Merlin! I think that you have probably done enough damage as it is."

"Let me get Gaius. He must know about things like that!"

"Merlin, I think the fewer people involved the better." He put his hand on the back of the chair and gingerly lowered himself into it.

They were interrupted by a tap on the door. Arthur flapped his hand in Merlin's direction so he went and opened it. There was a young squire with a message from Castle Farm. Merlin took it and Arthur motioned for him to read it aloud. Basically, it said that if Arthur wished to ride Iago that afternoon he could.

Merlin heard the gasp from the chair and gulped, making an executive decision he notified the squire that the prince would not be riding that afternoon. The squire left to deliver the verbal response.

Merlin turned back to Arthur who had his head in his hands. Now, Merlin was really getting worried. Then he noticed Arthur's shoulders were shaking. He stood across from him and waited.

Arthur lifted his head, and said, "I couldn't." He caught Merlin's eye and burst out laughing. "Not even for Iago."

Merlin had Gaius in stitches when he recounted the full episode. "Merlin at the rate you're going, you won't have a job because we won't have a crown prince..."

It was little happenings like this which cemented the friendship and strengthened the master/servant bond.

* * *

><p>But there were a few things which couldn't be glossed over.<p>

Uther was welcoming a delegation from a neighbouring kingdom. It consisted of the ruling couple and various servants, lackeys and hangers on. The Lord Chamberlain had everything in hand and all the guest chambers were arranged as were quarters for the servants.

Merlin watched their arrival from Arthur's window. Arthur was closeted with Geoffrey, so Merlin was not in attendance on the steps as the party arrived. He looked around the room and laid out everything which he felt that Arthur might need for the welcoming supper that night. Humphrey had dropped by to tell him that Arthur would be wearing his formal clothes.

Not being interested, in formal or informal clothes whatever they were, Merlin was not really paying attention.

He figured that Arthur was old enough to decide what he wanted to wear, anyway.

True to form, Arthur came sweeping in, checked over the clothes on the bed nodding his approval. He hadn't been feeling too well as he had a head cold but he figured he was well enough to attend dinner and anyway the king would expect him to put in an appearance. Arthur took a good dose of Gaius's cold medicine just swigging it down. Merlin had hot water available so left Arthur to wash and went downstairs to get a repeat dose from Gaius but Gaius wasn't there.

Merlin, when he returned realised that Arthur mustn't have felt too well after washing, as he'd lain on the bed and in true style had fallen asleep. Merlin decided not to disturb him but give him a few more minutes to rest, 'Lazy, so and so,' he thought. He sat in front of the fire and before he knew it is was dark. Arthur was snoring away and by the sounds in the corridor, people were making their way from their rooms to the dining hall.

He ran over to Arthur and grabbed his arm, "You're late! Get up and get dressed."

Arthur was warm and sleepy, he grabbed Merlin's hand and rolled over pinning it to the mattress. Merlin pulled away but Arthur had been dreaming and in his sleep befuddled mind confused Merlin's hand with a sword and had no intention of relinquishing it to the enemy.

"Please, Arthur let go. Come on! Wake up, you're really running late for supper."

"Go away, Merlin! You don't know how to fight..." was all Arthur mumbled.

Merlin did the only thing which he could do. He held out his hand, he closed his eyes and whispered, "_Sugeres sursum iam!_" adding, "You slob!" in English for full affect.

Arthur let go and got up. He was very placid, stood perfectly still and allowed Merlin to dress him without comment. He waited and Merlin opened the door saying, "Alright, Arthur, we should make it before the king if we hurry."

Arthur didn't move. Merlin went back and got him by the arm, but Arthur wanted to hold hands. Merlin finally had to slap his hand away and not too gently drag him into the corridor. It was a battle of hands all the way down the stairs. Various people nodded at Arthur as he passed but he made no eye contact looking straight ahead. Gaius was waiting near the door and observed Merlin avoiding Arthur's hand and literally steering him to his chair. He caught Merlin's eye and all Merlin could do was shrug.

Those assembled waited and within minutes Uther's arrival was heralded, he came in with his royal guests and was seated. Merlin managed to get Arthur onto his chair. He caused no trouble but was uncommunicative. Geoffrey beside him gave him a strange look but Merlin managed to lean over and whisper, "His cold's worse...doesn't feel too well." Geoffrey nodded sympathetically.

As he went to stand back to assume his customary position, he felt something and realised that Arthur had latched onto his leg. Merlin stood on one leg trying to shake Arthur's hand off the other but it didn't work. Leaning forward, he pinched Arthur's underarm and Arthur who hadn't spoken in an hour suddenly said, loudly and clearly, into one of those rare periods of silence which happen infrequently in a crowded room, "Ow, Merlin! That hurt...!"

All heads turned to the crown prince who was nursing his arm. The king glanced down the table and gave Merlin one of his famous scowls, thinking, 'That boy is on his way out!'

Gaius left his seat and walked to Merlin. Pulling him aside he said, "What's wrong with him?"

Merlin shrugged, "Don't know but my leg is going to be bruised by tomorrow."

"Think Merlin, has he had any thing to eat which might be making him this way?"

"He took something for his cold before he got washed and when I got back to him he was asleep on his bed."

Gaius had a worried look, "How much did you give him?"

"Nothing, he took it himself."

"How much?"

"Don't know, I just saw him gulping down something from the vial."

"Merlin, that was a concentrate, it was to be diluted. You should have known better than to leave him alone with medications. That had laudanum in it. He's high!"

The meal was over and the after dinner speeches were beginning. The drug was still having an affect on Arthur. Gaius looked back and saw Geoffrey trying to cope with Arthur's desire to hold someone's hand.

"Merlin," Gaius whispered, "I half blame you for this mess. He's not going to get too rambunctious but you can keep him quiet and happy by holding his hand if that's what he wants."

"No way, Gaius. What if someone notices?"

Gaius whispered as he walked back to his seat, "Guess, they'll think you're courting!"

Merlin felt his face start to get red, he walked over to Geoffrey and felt stupid saying it but he whispered, "Sir Geoffrey, I'll hold his hand!"

Geoffrey looked relieved and handed Arthur's hand over to Merlin.

Arthur realising that there had been a change in hands, glanced down and entwined his fingers with Merlin's and glanced up giving him a warm smile and said, quietly, "That's better, Merlin!"

Merlin managed to get Arthur's arm off the armrest and his hand hung loosely between Geoffrey's and his chair and Merlin stood trying to keep a straight face as the Crown Prince of Camelot kept playing with his fingers.

Suddenly the speeches were over and the king had risen. He thanked everyone for attending the supper and left glaring at Merlin who was, as far as he was concerned standing much closer to his son than was proper.

Gaius made his way over and asked Geoffrey to meet him in his chambers later, presumable to explain Arthur's strange behaviour. Merlin asked Arthur to stand and he did so. Merlin slipped his hand under his elbow and Gaius and he managed to get him back to his chamber without any problems.

Merlin sat him on the bed and walked over to the table to find the vial of medicine. It wasn't there, but Arthur was, right behind him like a little dog, this time hanging onto his jacket.

Gaius smiled, He picked up the vial from the chest beside the bed. It was empty. "Well, that explains everything. He took the whole vial. I'm surprised that he's still on his feet. Nothing medicinal for him until late tomorrow afternoon and you'd better keep him in bed or at least confined to this room. See if you can get water down him during the night as that would help."

Merlin started to help Arthur undress, which was difficult as Arthur was still determined to hold hands. "But Gaius, I'll be up and down the stairs all night."

"No, you won't. You can stay here tonight. Sleep on the cot in the antechamber once he's willing to let you go!" Gaius laughed. "I have to get on my way now as I have a lot of explaining to do to Geoffrey. Don't worry unduly about him as it is only a romantic reaction to the overdose."

Gaius looked at Arthur and said, "No need, to tell you to sleep tight as you will and...hopefully you will remember none of your amourous advances tomorrow morning. Eh, Merlin?"

Merlin had had it, he just shook his head and continued trying to fend off Arthur's hand as he got him into his nightclothes. He pulled a chair beside the bed and allowed Arthur to hang onto his hand. He'd only ever held hands with his Mam or little children but holding hands with Arthur didn't seem as strange as he thought it might be.

By the times the sentries had changed for the second time, Arthur had let Merlin's hand slip out of his and he'd turned over. Merlin pulled himself up and went to the antechamber and literally flopped on the cot.

Morning came too soon, but he got up, checked on Arthur who was still fast asleep. He tidied up all the clothes from the previous evening, made up the cot and then, left him to get his breakfast. When he woke him up, asking him how he'd slept. He yawned and smiling saying, "Great! You know, Merlin, I felt as if someone was watching over me all night."

Merlin made no comment but if Arthur had looked at him, he would have seen a slight blush cross his face.

"Gaius suggested because of your cold, that you could spend the morning in bed. He would also prefer that you don't leave the chambers until supper.

Arthur said, "But, I feel fantastic! The mixture from Gaius worked really well. I was asleep before you came back from Gaius's and have only just woken up now. Do I have any to take this morning?"

"No," Merlin tried not to smile, "Gaius said that that was a twenty-four hour dose which you had taken and no more until later today, if you still need it. No headache, no wooziness, no nausea?"

"Merlin, stop being an old nursemaid! You wouldn't know how to deal with someone who was sick even if your life depended on it."

"Right, Arthur! Wouldn't know what to do with someone who was high and wanting to hold hands..."

"You talk absolute nonsense! By the way, did I miss anything going to bed early last night?"

Merlin looked straight at him and said, "Nothing worth remembering..."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12 : GAWAINE CHARGES IN**

Arthur was busy ordering the Camelot knights about in the courtyard. That was good as it gave Merlin a few moments to relax. Arthur had been ordering him about all morning so it was nice seeing other people at the receiving end of his enthusiastic organisational skills.

The day was warm and as long as he could see where Arthur was, he had no qualms about taking it easy. He wandered up the grass above the lower battlements and sat, propping his back against the castle wall. He had a good view of the courtyard. He recognised most of the Camelot knights but there were a few other men milling with them whom he did not know. Arthur would enlighten him soon enough.

He was minding his own business, winding some pieces of dried grass through his fingers when he saw a figure approaching. It was a stranger but one who obviously felt quite at home to be wandering around.

"Beautiful day...and isn't this a great place, you've chosen to relax?"

Merlin nodded.

"And who would I be speaking to at the moment?"

Merlin remembered his manners and said, "I'm Merlin, I work for Prince Arthur."

"So, you're the one and only Merlin. I've been hearing great things about you."

"...and you?"

"Sorry, I'm Gawaine." He added laughingly, "A knight but not of this fair realm. You could call me a free agent but every now and again I end up in Camelot much to Arthur's father's annoyance. No love lost there."

Merlin had to grin, he knew exactly what this chap was talking about. He often felt in the same position and it was only his, how would you put it, respect for Arthur which made him stay in his employ. "Why are you here now?"

"I bumped into my old friend Leon and he mentioned that he hadn't seen me for some time so I decided to pay a surprise visit. Besides, the company, Camelot's alehouses are excellent, even though by the end of the week, I'll be banned from each and every one."

Merlin laughed. This man was a breath of fresh air. Many a knight upon hearing that he was a servant would have ignored him but not this man. He felt comfortable with him. He liked the fact that he was amusing but not at anyone's expense but his own.

"I don't remember meeting you on my last visit. Mind you it was sadly, a rather brief affair, after the fiasco with the missing mead and the king's reluctance to be my host any longer."

Merlin explained that he had only been with Arthur for about a year.

"That long, how could you stand him for that long? He and I run hot and cold. We can be the best of friends and then usually due to an indiscretion on my part," and here Gawaine winked, "I am being escorted from the lower town by a group of guards which I fondly refer to as my own personal army as I see so much of them, and even know each one by name!"

Merlin lay back against the wall and again had a good laugh.

"So, anyway what is a pretty boy like you doing hobnobbing with his lordship?"

Merlin blushed slightly then couldn't help but laugh. He didn't take offence to what Gawaine had said; he found it hard to take anything this newcomer said seriously. "Well, I came here to work for Gaius and then Uther decided otherwise."

"A real spoilsport that king can be! If you're not busy tonight how about meeting up with my pals at the The Unicorn and we'll make a start on drinking the establishment dry."

Merlin opened his mouth to explain and there was a shout "Merlin, get down here, now!"

Merlin stood up and hesitated, turning to say goodbye to Gawaine.

"...and I mean, now!" came the voice floating up the hill.

Merlin fled and Gawaine stretched out and said to himself, "His Master's Voice!" and hummed to himself.

Merlin skidded to a halt in front of Arthur. He knew by the tone of his voice that he had done something wrong but had no idea as to what it might be, because they had left the room quite happily this morning.

"Yes, Arthur?"

"What were you doing lolling around on the grass with that person?"

"I was hardly lolling and you were busy with the knights."

"Don't get smart with me, Merlin, what did he want of you?"

"I don't think he wanted anything. He just talked to me. Actually Arthur, he was charming and extremely funny."

"He is not! I do not want you associating with him." A little spark of jealousy was growing in Arthur's chest.

"But, Arthur..."

"Not associating with him! That's the end of the matter."

Merlin glanced back up the slope where Gawaine was still propped against the castle wall. Gawaine saw him and whistled drawing Arthur's attention to himself and he called across to him, "When the cat's away...!"

Arthur growled, "Damn him!" and grabbing Merlin by the arm, escorted him to the front steps and then prodding him in the back marched him up and into the castle. He'd be keeping a close eye on Gawaine during this visit.

* * *

><p>"Gaius, something strange happened this morning. Arthur got furious with me for nothing. Well, I think it was nothing."<p>

"What did you do this time, to upset his lordship?"

"I was sitting on the battlements chatting with a knight. He was amusing with a wicked sense of humour and he made me laugh. Arthur looked up, saw us and almost went ballistic! He has forbidden me to even look at him, let along talk to him. Do you think that Arthur is alright? Honestly, he was seriously upset. He isn't usually like that about people I talk to and I tried to tell him that Gawaine was amusing and very friendly?"

"...and I suppose you emphasised the 'very friendly'?"

Merlin shrugged, "I don't think I did, anyway what difference does it make? I did mutter something about that he could let me go if he wasn't satisfied with my work. I could come back and work with you here, couldn't I?"

"Of course you could...but how did Arthur accept that?"

Merlin grinned, "He gasped like a fish out of water and turned a shade of red and suddenly looked worried and as strange as it seems, sad."

"Let him be, Merlin. Don't tease him. If he doesn't want you associating with Gawaine, play nicely. I'm sure it will blow over and the next time, the two of you see Gawaine it will be forgotten."

Merlin nodded and sat at the table to eat.

Gaius thought to himself, '...or maybe not!'

The next time Arthur was in Gaius's chambers, Merlin was down in the library collecting books. Gaius was expecting to hear Arthur's side of the Merlin Gawaine Saga.

Out of the blue, Arthur said, "That Gawaine makes me so cross, he's got plenty of associates to drink with but no, he invites Merlin to join him. Merlin no less, who can't drink three mouthfuls of wine without getting silly, tongue tied and completely lacking any sense. What did he think he was going to do?"

"Well, Arthur, Merlin is an adult and even though he is your servant, he has the right to choose his own friends and on his own time, associate with whomever he wants."

"No, he doesn't, he's mine?" As the words came out of his mouth, Arthur realised he'd said this thought with his outside voice, for the very first time and to Gaius of all people. He blushed and ducked his head. If the floor had only opened up and swallowed him, he'd have been happy.

There was silence. Arthur thought he could hear the leeches gliding in the tank. He peeked at Gaius who was sitting with his head down and deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, he left the room.

Merlin came in not more than five minutes later. Arthur and he could have passed in the halls but Gaius thought that that was unlikely as Merlin seemed quite happy.

Gaius said, "Merlin, do you spend all your time with Arthur, even your free time?"

Merlin looked up and a smile lit up his face and he said, "Yes, he seems happier when I'm around. You know Gaius, I think that I am also happier to be with him than anyone else except maybe you. He can really be nice and sometimes he just smiles at me and I say 'What?' and he smiles and just shakes his head. He's really funny as he sits and smiles and watches me as I work. I often tell him that if he is that interested, I could teach him how to do many of the jobs he leaves for me. He just smiles and that makes me feel good. He really is a very nice. Gaius, you should be proud, as you raised him perfectly, as far as I am concerned."

Merlin gave Gaius a grin and Gaius wondered if either of them realised what was happening. His world would be shattered as he considered what Uther might do.

* * *

><p>Arthur, Geilbert, Romney and Rook were discussing an upcoming challenge which was an annual event with various knights around the kingdom. They were walking across the training field on their way to lunch and they had discussed going hunting after lunch.<p>

Suddenly, there was a crash as Merlin lost control of Arthur's armour which the prince insisted must only be carried by his manservant not any other squire. His own shield flew forward and hit him behind the knees causing him to stumble. Rook grabbed his elbow as he righted himself. He turned to glare at Merlin who was on the ground, rounding up all the pieces of armour, he had dropped.

Arthur, turned to the knights and said. "Right, this afternoon, we'll check out that boar." The others walked on.

He turned on Merlin and didn't hold back. He grabbed him by the ear and threatened everything from torture to death. He shoved him roughly and Merlin toppled over, again dropping everything he'd managed to pick up.

A familiar voice said, "...and why, would you be taking out your frustration on this charming young man, on such a beautiful day?"

Without turning, Arthur snarled, "Go away, Gawaine, this is none of your business!"

"Oh but Sire! I beg to differ. As a knight, I swore to defend those in need and here, we obviously have someone who is being unjustly treated." He looked down at Merlin and flashed him a smile which Arthur could not possibly have missed.

Merlin grinned back at him. Not a sensible move on his part but he thought, that what Gawaine had said was funny. He then busied himself by putting his head through the offending shield's arm strap and balancing it over his back. He then leant forward to pick up the rest of the equipment and was clunked in the back of his head by said shield. He said, "Ouch!"

Arthur looked at him and shook his head.

Rather than stomp off leaving Merlin alone with Gawaine, Arthur opted to stay around and couldn't help venting his annoyance. "Merlin, you're hopeless!" he complained and then added, "You're not going to be around much longer at this rate!"

Gawaine picked up one of Arthur's gauntlets saying, "Arthur, let me know when that happens ..."

He looked at Merlin and gave him a broad wink, raising his eyebrows, knowing full well that Arthur was not only watching this exchange but unnerved by it.

Arthur faced the other knight and said, "Go away, Gawaine!"

He nodded at Arthur, "Sire!" Turning to Merlin, he said with a grin, "Let me know when you are no longer employed..." and sauntered off for lunch.

Merlin could feel the tension in the air. Arthur was furious but he realised that he was not the object of his fury but Gawaine. Arthur spun around and saw two squires standing talking and said, "You two, take all this stuff back to the armoury."

They came over, pleased to be asked by the Crown Prince to do an errand and said, "Yes, Sire."

He waited impatiently while Merlin was unloaded and got his head out of the shield's arm straps, the squires giggling with him.

When he was free, Arthur grabbing him by the ear, said, "And...you come with me!" and he stormed off. Merlin had to jog to keep up with him.

Finally Arthur slowed down and let go of his ear. Merlin rubbed it to get rid of the stinging. He knew Arthur was furious because of Gawaine's remark that he would employ him if Arthur didn't want him. It had actually been nice realising that he was at least wanted by someone as Arthur could be a royal nuisance, sometimes.

Tired of getting the silent treatment and sure that Arthur had blown everything out of perspective, as he later put Arthur's lunch in front of him, Merlin dared to say, "Arthur, you know, he's only teasing..."

"No, he's not." For all of Arthur's confidence and ability, there was one thing in his present life which made him feel insecure, the thought of losing Merlin.

"He is Arthur! He knows I won't leave Camelot, Gaius would have me back to work for him if you didn't want me."

Merlin gave him an innocent smile and Arthur's heart clenched. His spoon halted midway between the stew and his mouth, as he thought, '...and what about me?'

At supper, Arthur was quiet but as Uther and his guests had much to say, it really wasn't noticeable, except to Merlin, that the crown prince was uninvolved with the conversation.

Merlin saw him back to his room and as it was late, helped his disrobe. Arthur poured himself a goblet of wine and went to sit in front of the fire which Merlin had just banked for the night.

"I'm not yet ready to retire, you may go but..."

Merlin waited expecting to be given a list of things to be accomplished the following day.

"...Merlin...I apologise for manhandling you this morning...I was wrong. I let another person's words get to me and took it out on you, I'm sorry..."

Merlin looked over at the man whom he had recently realised was a friend and said, "It was my fault, I was clumsy and unable to do as you wished." He gave Arthur a little smile and gambled as he added, "I don't want to leave your employ. I'd miss you too much. I know, I was brought back to Camelot for a reason and if it is to be your manservant, then I am satisfied."

He bowed, turned and left the room.

Arthur waiting until he heard the door close, said to the empty room, "...and would you accept more?"

As Merlin walked into Gaius's, he smiled, it had been a long day; it was good to be home. Gaius looked up and said, "Off early tonight. Is his highness in a magnanimous mood?"

"No actually, strange would better describe it. Since hunting this afternoon, he has been quiet. Guess he has a lot on his mind or something and Gaius, you won't believe it, he actually said that he was sorry. He actually used that word!"

"You deserved it after this morning happenings."

"Yes. But you know, it's funny every now and again, I feel that Arthur wants to say something, I wait and smile in encouragement and then he shakes his head and turns away. Do you think he's sickening with something?"

Gaius bit his tongue and said, "He looked well enough to me, when he rode into the courtyard this afternoon."

"Well, there's certainly something but I'm not going to worry about it. As Mam would say, 'It will be washed away by the next heavy rain'!"

'I somehow doubt it!' thought Gaius.

* * *

><p>Arthur finally threw himself on his bed. His mind was all over the place, he couldn't settle.<p>

He saw Merlin on his knees, weighed down by all his armour and getting clunked in the head by the shield. Why hadn't he stepped forward and given him a hand? Other knights carried their own shields and swords off the training field.

He saw Gawaine and Merlin grinning at each other. He'd have to put a stop to that as Merlin was too trusting and Gawaine was too friendly.

He cringed as he saw himself dragged Merlin along by his ear. He blushed thinking about it. What made him belittle him, because he felt so unsure of himself?

He saw Merlin smiling innocently at him and telling him he didn't want to leave him.

He closed his eyes and realised that Merlin had become closer to him than Rudd or Edmund ever had. He had touched his heart. It was beyond friendship, he now realised that. He knew that he loved him. Was he to be the lone partner in this relationship?

* * *

><p>Merlin left Gaius with his books and went into his bedroom. He took off his boots and threw his jacket on the floor in the corner. He pulled off his tunic. He put his head down on the pillow and drifted away.<p>

_Arthur was saying something. He was looking straight at him, smiling softly._

_Merlin wanted so much to brush the hair off his forehead so he could see his eyes but his arm wouldn't move._

_Gaius was in the corner messing at his table, he looked up and smiled._

_Merlin felt someone put their arms around him. He could feel their breath on his neck. His heart fell too large for his chest and he felt all warm and so important. He tried to turn his head but he still couldn't see, who was holding him..._

* * *

><p>Gaius finally put his head on his pillow. Gawaine even if he didn't realise it, was a catalyst, instrumental in whatever was going to happen. He prayed that neither Merlin nor Arthur were going to be hurt by these awakening emotions. He intended to have a little 'father to son' chat with Merlin in the near future. He turned over, next week would be soon enough... and went asleep.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13 : GAIUS SETS HIM STRAIGHT**

The Annual Knightly Challenge which was held in various locations was a big success this year as it was held in Camelot. By the end of the week, the challenge Pennant was flying over the Camelot pavilion.

Just as in the summer tournament, the surrounding businesses had done exceptionally well. The castle had been packed to capacity and even the king had been pleasant all week. Arthur had had his hands full as he was expected to attend or at least make an appearance at all functions.

Merlin was run off his feet. The amount of laundry was unbelievable, he even had a senior squire on loan as an extra servant. Robert was a pleasant lad and worked hard to lighten Merlin's workload. Merlin was more than surprised when Arthur had asked him if he needed help. He seemed to be more conscious recently of the amount of work which he expected him to accomplish in a day.

Slowly the various knights from around the kingdom made their way home. Arthur seemed to spend a couple of hours a day, representing his father as they made their formal departures.

Luckily for Gawaine, who because of his dexterity with the sword had won the Mellée Challenge, Merlin was standing slightly to the left and on the step lower than Arthur when it came time to leave. He had kept his eyes away from Merlin's face remembering Arthur's less than happy attitude when he was openly friendly with his manservant. Gawaine had picked up vibes and was certain that Merlin was not conscious of the underlying current of feelings. He thanked Arthur for his hospitality, mentioning that he hoped to see him again in the near future.

Arthur, realising that Gawaine had not made any move to include Merlin in the conversation, was equally well mannered and said that he hoped Gawaine would come back to Camelot in the not too distant future.

Gawaine said, "Thank you, Sire!' He turned to his horse, which decided to be difficult swinging around as he went to mount, allowing Gawaine to catch Merlin's eye without Arthur noticing, to give him a big grin and a wink. Merlin stayed stone face but for a responding wink!

Gawaine laughed to himself as he rode out the portcullis. He had no intention of interfering with anyone's plans if there were any but Arthur was one lucky man, if what he thought might happen, did...

* * *

><p>Gaius and Merlin had been talking about Arthur, Gaius realising that Merlin was miles away in his own little world, smiled to himself. Gaius finally decided to broach the subject as delicately as he could. "Merlin, what do you know of love?"<p>

"I know where babies come from."

Well, that's a good start! However, what about loving people?"

"Well, I love my Mam and you, Gidun and Arth..." He looked up suddenly embarrassed and blushed, "Gaius, can I love Arthur?"

Gaius looked at the young man with whom his whole future seemed connected and smiled, "Yes, you can love Arthur. Friends love each other sometimes very much." Gaius was biding his time. He realised that his assumptions were correct but as Arthur was the other person involved he wanted to tread carefully.

"...but this is not as a friend. I think I love him from inside my heart. I can't wait to see him every morning and he only has to smile at me and I feel on top of the world. If his hands accidentally touch me, it's like magic. It's a spell which I never made but which is happening to me. It's like loving my Mam but completely different but like the same. I'm not making any sense am I?"

"Yes, you are."

Merlin shrugged saying, "Gaius, I know about trusting and caring about and being truthful" He stopped, blushed, took a deep breath and said, "But, I don't know much about how the loving part actually works."

Gaius always kind, sat him down in front of the fire and said, "Any question you ask, I will try to answer but any answers I don't know, we'll find out together." All of Merlin's embarrassment melted away. He knew that confiding that he loved a man was not upsetting Gaius and he trusted him to answer truthfully whatever he asked.

Gaius answered all his questions. Some answers leaving Merlin wide eyed.

The following day, Gaius said that there were some books he wanted and he sent Merlin down to collect them. Geoffrey had them on his table. He told Merlin to make sure to take them straight to Gaius. He did and handing them to Gaius, left to return to Arthur's for a day wasted as far as he was concerned by traipsing around in the wet woods with Arthur who was determined to kill some hoppy, fluffy, long-eared things.

That night, he returned to his room and there was a thin leather folder of illustrated medical foolscaps on his bed. He didn't get much sleep that night as it was all about Gaius's different kinds of loving.

Morning arrived and he was exhausted from lack of sleep and an over active imagination. For the longest time, Merlin stood holding the latch of the bedroom door, too embarrassed to come out to face Gaius who was making porridge as he would know that he had spent the whole night reading! Finally taking a big breath to calm his nerves, he opened his door, Gaius looked and him and said with a big grin, "Guess, you didn't get much sleep last night, Merlin? You forgot to put on your trousers and your boots."

Merlin's blushed as he handed the book back to Gaius and returned to his room to finish dressing.

They sat at the table for breakfast. Gaius said, "Take your time to think about it and if you ever have other questions don't be shy, you can ask me later on."

"But how do I know if Arthur even likes me like that?"

"There's no hurry, you'll find out when the time is right. The most important thing is that you make sure that this is really what you want. Nobody can decide for you and if they do they might be completely wrong. Only you know how you feel."

Gaius smiled as Merlin went off to wake up Arthur and get his breakfast. It would be interested to see who would be the next person coming to ask questions.

He knew that being brought up with squires and knights, Arthur would be more worldly than Merlin but he had confidence that if he really did love him as he had professed, Arthur would wait for Merlin to make the first move.

* * *

><p>It was autumn and the palace was getting ready to stock up on food for the winter. All the root vegetable had been harvested and packed away in root cellars. The larders were filling up with food. Meat safes were slowly filling up as livestock, not being wintering over was being slaughtered and butchered. Smoke houses and drying kilns were running at full blast to prepare the meat which would see them over a bad winter. Fresh meat and game would be hunted all winter but with so many mouths to feed, provisions had to be made ahead of time.<p>

Everyone had been busy and the king decided to relax all training sessions as the knights not on patrols or guarding the castle had been busy hunting. Arthur was in his element and spent everyday out hunting and much to Merlin's annoyance wanted him to accompany him every time. He hated having to hang dead rabbits and fowl from his saddle as Gidun didn't like the smell of the blood and had a tendency to dance which always made Arthur cross. "You should be on a palfrey, not a destrier as that is the mount usually reserved for knights."

"Arthur, don't tell me you're going to forbid me to ride my own horse. It's just that the smell of the blood unnerves him. He's not hurting anyone. He's not lagging behind. And you are really having a rather nice time aren't you, Boy?"

Arthur glared at him, was he calling him 'Boy' in front of his knights and then he realised that Merlin as usual was now carrying on a one sided conversation with his horse.

Merlin had never got the hang of the correct address for him Poor Arthur received everything from Arthur...Sire, to Sir Arthur, to Sir Prince, to Your Royalness but most often if they were alone or in the company of the knights he always called him Arthur, making even Rupert and Leon smile. He believed at one point that Gaius had tried to get it all straightened out but he had finally given up. Merlin was never rude and in front of the king and the council always behaved himself and was even known to Sire him in excess especially if he was annoyed at him.

When they returned home and if Arthur was eating alone in his room at night, he would insist on recounting every move he had made, every shot he had taken, describing every arrow flight and congratulating Merlin on the opportunity of seeing such above average marksmanship. Merlin would make the appropriate faces of having been impressed and even shocked by his superiority but finally he would start to grin and Arthur would give up. He'd started allowing Merlin to sit and eat with him at supper if they were alone. He convinced himself that it made more sense than having him eating so much later by himself at Gaius's.

One evening as the two of them were sitting in front of the fire after the meal, there was a tap on the door, Arthur heard the word "Sire." The chamber door flew open and the king walked in.

"Arthur..."

Merlin sprang to his feet but too late as the king had seen him. "Get off that chair. This is a royal bed chamber not the servants' quarters. Learn your place, Boy, or otherwise it will be a couple of nights in the cells for you and then we'll see how well you remember that you are a manservant and behave like one!

"Arthur, this is your fault entirely, maybe it was a mistake giving you an inexperienced servant as you obviously are not able to train one. He can go back to Gaius and I'll find you someone older."

"Sire, I am capable of training a manservant. Merlin is very respectful to all the council members and the knights, as he is to you, Your Majesty."

Merlin stood with his head bowed, unwilling to look at the king in case he caught the glint of amusement in his eye as Arthur defended him. He was afraid to look at Arthur in case they both started laughing.

"I'll be watching him and if I catch him behaving in such a way again. He's out. Let Gaius have him back."

"But Father, he did save my life..."

"That's the only reason, I'm not firing him right now."

Uther clicked his fingers at Richard his manservant and he stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Elsmford, Sire."

"Yes, that's right. Arthur, I want you and a few knights to check out a disturbance near Elmsford. Take a party of six, I noticed that that ruffian knight is in town again, take him and also your manservant as you feel he is so useful. Patrol the area from Elmsford to Adderlea by foot. You won't have to spend more than one night roughing it but check out all known bandit hideouts. One good thing is that if you loose the ruffian or your manservant, it won't be a great loss!"

Arthur's face was bright red, he was furious. Richard looked embarrassed. The king looked satisfied and Merlin was trying to catch Arthur's eye to encourage him to let it go as it wasn't worth fighting over that comment when his father was in a bad mood.

The king turned on his heel and left the room saying, "Goodnight, Arthur!"

To which, Arthur mumbled, "Goodnight, Sire!"

Merlin decided to play along so he bowed too.

Once the door closed, Arthur threw himself back into the chair and motioned for Merlin to do the same. Merlin did so but with misgivings, in case the king returned.

Arthur saw his furtive glances towards the door and said, "He won't be back...he's said his piece, he's insulted both of us and I hope he rots in hell!"

* * *

><p>Merlin arrived back late that evening. Gaius was reading and raised his eyebrows saying, "Trouble in Paradise?"<p>

"No, just the king being his usual obnoxious self."

"Careful Merlin, that's enough to get you banned from Camelot."

"Well, you know what I mean. He came charging in and we'd finished supper and I was sitting chatting with Arthur in front of the fire. Uther hit the ceiling, insulting me and was rude to Arthur in Richard's presence. He threatened to send me packing and bring in a more mature servant of his choice. I have to give credit to Arthur as he stood up to him."

"I hope you didn't get involved in the discussion."

"No, I was the paragon of servility. I dropped my head and even affected a bow when he left. You would have been proud of me, Gaius."

"Careful Merlin, he can hold a grudge and seeing Arthur behave in a manner which would be against his principles is hard for him to accept. Like Father like Son, is his ideal and Arthur is bucking it every hour of every day."

"Anyway, the good news is, that we're going on patrol."

"You...on patrol! That's a bit far-fetched."

"Well, the king insinuated that as he considered both Gawaine and I useless, we might as well go too as if we didn't come back it would be no great loss. Also, something about riding out, leaving the horses and proceeding on foot, maybe even a night camping. That could be fun, I've never camped with a prince before."

"Don't get excited as it just means sleeping out, on bedrolls and roughing it."

"Oh, I thought maybe, there would be pavilions and servants."

"Merlin, you my friend, are a romantic."

"You know, I might be useless but Gawaine isn't. He's great with a sword and I'd feel quite safe with him if someone attacked us. Don't know what Arthur finds so annoying about him? He snarls and threatens him the whole time and Gawaine just smiles and winks at me."

Gaius knowing Arthur well, thought, 'Possession is nine tenths of the law.'

* * *

><p>The following morning after breakfast as Merlin tidied around him, Arthur made lists of what was needed for the patrol. His list of people amused Merlin when he finally saw it as his name topped the list followed by Gawaine then the knights, Sirs James, Rook and Jonathan and of course Arthur. There were also some notes on food and horses with the word groom with a question mark after it. Merlin thought that if he was going to have to leave Gidun somewhere overnight, he preferred having a castle groom stay with all their horses. Obviously, Arthur was thinking about Ash as well. Horses were a valuable commodity, especially well-trained destriers and Merlin confidently considered Gidun in that group.<p>

It was a busy day, so Merlin did his fair share of running messages and standing behind Arthur while the knights and advisors were in meetings. He kept his eyes downcast whenever the king glanced at Arthur as he didn't want him to decide that he wasn't going to accompany his son on the patrol.

He had had to get messages to all the knights telling them that Arthur wished to see them. He had the deuce of a time running down Sir Gawaine, who was nowhere to be found. He finally ran him to earth in a room above the inn and by the look of him, he'd not slept much the previous night.

He grinned at Merlin saying, "When the opportunity arrives, grab it with both hands."

Merlin half dressed him and lugged him outside to the pump and said, "This is an opportunity, make use of it." And pushing his head down showered him with cold well water. He stood up spluttering.

Merlin rode back with him to town and quickly brought him up to date on what was being planned. "That is," he told him, "If Arthur hasn't changed his mind as it has taken me so long to find you."

"Why are we dilly dallying? Come on!" was Gawaine's reply as he galloped in the direction of the castle.

All Merlin could think of during the ten minutes it took Gidun and him to get back to Camelot were Gawaine's words, 'When the opportunity arrives, grab it with both hands.' He'd have to run that by Gaius.

Finally, they were all assembled and Arthur explained the patrol's goals and said he'd see them at dawn the next day but one. He had arranged to eat at Gaius's that night so the kitchen was advised to send meals for the prince and two guests to the court physician's chambers.

The three of them made an evening of it and when finally Gaius said that Arthur really should be returning to his own chambers, Merlin rose, telling Gaius he'd be back as soon as possible and to wait up as he wanted to ask him something.

"Ask him now, maybe I know the answer as well." insisted Arthur who had had a couple of drinks and was feeling no pain.

Gaius winked at Merlin and said, "Best of luck, getting him back to his place."

"He's going to be no trouble." He said then turned to the man in question saying, "Are you Arthur?" Arthur just smiled reaching for Merlin's neckerchief as he went to put his arm around him to help him to his feet.

Merlin shook his head, smiled at Gaius and said, "We'll be fine..."

The two of them negotiated the door, then the stairs, then the corridor and arrived back at Arthur's. Merlin sat him on the bed to remove his boots, socks and trousers and then pulled his tunic over his head and left him in his silk under tunic. Arthur twice grabbed Merlin's wrist wanting to have a serious conversation about something but he wasn't making any sense and kept blushing the whole time. Merlin extricated himself from his grasp.

He made him get into the bed and tucked the blankets around him, Merlin felt sure that he said something about '...enough for two' but it didn't make any sense so he ignored him and said, "I'll wake you up a little later tomorrow, as we have an easy day"

He stood up and looked at Arthur in bed and said, "Goodnight, Arthur! Sleep tight!"

He thought back and remembered his Mam saying, 'Goodnight, Merlin My Love, Sleep tight!' For a moment he wished...

Arthur didn't hear the door shut and continued the conversation all by himself in an empty room, "Merlin, I said that my bed is big enough for two." He would never remember saying or even thinking such a thing. He turned over and fell asleep.

Merlin walked back to Gaius's. "Did you get him back without any trouble?"

"He's not too hard to manage when he's has a few drinks. It's as if he reverts to Arthur the person, he always is when he is here and not Arthur the prince."

Merlin went and sat down at the table looking over at Gaius in his chair by the fire. He so wanted to ask a few questions but he felt he was maybe putting Gaius in an embarrassing situation. Then he remembered that he had said that if he wanted to talk more about loving, he could ask him.

He looked up and said, "Gawaine said something interesting today. He said, 'When the opportunity arrives, grab it.' I think he might have been talking about a lady but, Gaius, how long do you wait around for the other person to make a move?"

Gaius nodded, "That's a hard one Merlin. Has the person involved shown any interest? Have they said or done anything to give you a hint that they feel for you in a special way." He turned to look at Merlin who had his head in his hands.

"If it's who I think it is. Technically in his position, it is for him to make the first move but also knowing that young man very well, I know that he would never make a move unless he knew that you were of the same mind."

"So it might just go on like this forever?"

Gaius said "Merlin, three things. If you are sure that you are in no way being coerced by Arthur or his position; if you are sure that this is what you want and if you are sure that it will be right for you, then..."

Merlin raised his head and with a soft smile, said, "...I should go for it?"

Gaius smiled back at him and nodded. He didn't say it but he thought, 'Dear God, please keep them both safe!'


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14 : THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX**

Merlin checked in on Arthur after a late breakfast with Gaius. Arthur was still a lump in the bed, snoring softly and he didn't have the heart to disturb him. He quietly tidied his clothes; he knew that Arthur would want to bathe so he left the room to make all the necessary arrangements, telling the servants to wait at least until mid-morning before arriving with the water.

He visited the kitchens and chose something appetizing for breakfast. Arthur would be hungry so he tracked down his favourite cook and she agreed that some smoked salmon, eggs and fruit juice with some fresh bread, should be a breakfast fit for a crown prince. He sat waiting for it to be prepared while she slipped him morsels of what was being prepared for lunch. It was a novelty listening to all the voices and watching the bustle as the food for lunch was prepared.

The food orders had already been received for tomorrow's patrol and he watched as a little maidservant no older than Dove, expertly clean, freshly killed chickens. The scullery girls worked hard and it was continuous as no sooner was one meal served than another was being prepped. He didn't think he would like to work in the kitchen, true it was warm and toasty in the winter but stifling in the summer and all those platters and utensils to be cleaned was not to his liking. He'd stick with the prince for the time being.

Arthur didn't seem to have moved since he had last seen him. But, then he realised that he was now on his back with one arm over his eyes. He'd obviously been bothered by the daylight.

Merlin smiled, he did something that his Mam often did to wake him, he started to hum and when he saw movement and fluttering eyelids, he sang quietly, "Morning has broken like the first morning; blackbird has spoken like the first bird..."

"I'll blackbird you if you don't shut up!"

"Very nice, Sir Arthur and do you greet all morning visitors by threatening them?"

"No, just you because I know you won't run away..."

"Maybe, I will one day and then you'd be in a real mess," and as he set the table, Merlin went through the list of services, he performed for the prince until his head was shrouded by the under tunic which he had left on Arthur the previous night.

Arthur heard a muffled, "Lucky shot!"

Merlin blinded by the tunic, was laughing; he put his hands out before him, feeling his way across the room to put his hand on Arthur's dressing gown which he knew was on the bottom of the bed. However, it wasn't the dressing gown which he clutched but Arthur's thigh. He stopped dead and backed away mortified. He wasn't in dresser mode; he was so embarrassed that he turned his back, pulling the tunic from his head, standing with his head down, appalled. His heart was doing somersaults and he only wanted to run away. For a flash he knew something had changed as he thought, '...but, do I really want to go?' He stayed where he was, halfway across the room, back to Arthur and decided to face the music or the stocks whichever came first. Waiting for a cuff across the back of his head if not something worse, he had never been so upset in his life...

Arthur thanked God for a few seconds, while Merlin had his back turned. He had got control of himself. He realised how close he had come to grabbing him and making an absolute fool of himself.

A very distressed voice whispered quietly, "Sire, I'm so sorry..."

"Why? Did you do it purposely? Actually, if the blame is to be laid on someone it was my fault as I threw the tunic at you." He paused, adding half-heartedly, "I just hadn't expected you to attack me physically..." He thought, 'Hoped maybe...but never expected...'

"But Arthur, I didn't, I would never do that. You are the crown prince, people don't touch you ever! I am truly sorry and if you want me to leave your service, I understand and will go now...immediately."

"What and I'd miss having my breakfast and hopefully a bath?"

Merlin kept his eyes downcast. He was afraid of seeing disgust on Arthur's face. He didn't sound upset but then the king never sounded upset as he sentenced people suspected of magic to burn at the stake. Maybe it was the same royal training which enabled Arthur to keep control of his feelings.

He turned and walked to the bed and retrieved the damned dressing gown and held it for Arthur to slip into. He stood behind him to belt it as he was too upset to stand in front of him. How could something which had started so innocently have become so charged! His mind was playing games and if he hadn't know better he would have sworn that Arthur had leaned back into him as he reached around him to tie the belt.

He left Arthur standing there and walked over to the table and uncovered the meal. He hoped it was to his liking. He assumed his rightful position behind the chair as the crown prince ate. There was a discrete tap on the door and Merlin answered it directing the servants to set up the bath and fill it. He then busied himself with towels, soaps and oils.

Arthur was feeling uncomfortable, not embarrassed just uncomfortable as his resolution to allow Merlin to make the first move in approaching him had almost slipped away...and once gone it would be irretrievable. He was determined to keep control of his feelings as twice this morning he had almost blown it.

Without actually ordering Merlin to look at him, he had no real way of knowing how upset he was. He decided to carry on as if nothing had happened and hopefully by the time they were ready to leave the room, the status quo would again be in effect.

Merlin had the bathing ritual down pact and keeping his eyes away from Arthur's face, he took the dressing gown when it was handed to him. Merlin checked that the temperature was suitable and Arthur settled in the water. He put away the dressing gown, laid out clean clothes on the bed and dusted off his boots.

Usually, he would sit and talk to Arthur as he bathed but today he was leery of that as even the nerves in his scalp, stood on end. He busied himself elsewhere in the chamber. He tried to replay the sequence of events from this morning but he was unable to concentrate as his own feeling kept interrupting.

"Merlin...! For God's sake Man, where are you? I'm ready for fresh water. If I didn't know better, I would think you had forgotten the bathing routine."

"Sorry, Sire!"

"Stop Siring me, be your usual annoying self, you're unnerving me."

Refraining from a smart-aleck reply such as '...and you me, Sire!' Merlin obediently walked to the fire and pulled a pail of warm water closer to the bath, Arthur stood and he poured clean water over him. He bent his head forward and Merlin emptied a pitcher over his head to rinse any remaining soap out of his hair. He handed him a towel for his head and then a larger towel and realised that as Arthur tied it around his waist, he was conscious of the drops of water chasing each other down his chest. He blushed involuntarily, hoping that Arthur hadn't noticed.

If he had, he made no comment. They went into dresser-master mode and by the time he had him dressed, he was left kneeling at his feet, after helping him with his boots. Merlin could wait no longer, he couldn't spend the rest of the day averting his eyes, he took a deep breath, tilting his head up slightly until he could see Arthur's chest. He knew that there had been a hitch in Arthur's breathing, so he glanced up and the smile that Arthur gave him reached down to the tip of his toes and then rushed to all the extremities of his body.

He waited but never a word passed Arthur's lips.

* * *

><p>This was a free day for Arthur so, they walked down to see Gaius as he had promised a first aid kit for Merlin to put in his saddle bag along with a change of socks and another tunic in case he got soaked. Gaius felt that Merlin was a little subdued but there seemed no animosity between Arthur and him, so he thought that he was picking up feelings which were possibly not there.<p>

They talked about the upcoming patrol. Merlin knew that it was going to be fun. One night at an inn, he'd never slept in an inn. He felt more comfortable with Gaius around and he slowly reverted to his old self.

"Are there cots or does everyone sleep on the floor?

Gaius smiled as Arthur assured him, "If there is a cot, Merlin, rest assured that I intend to commandeer it. Servants and people of lesser importance will have to sleep on the floor."

"Even the knights? I don't think that they are going to be very happy with you, Arthur."

"Excuse me, do you think that the crown prince cares who is happy with him?

Merlin shrugged, "Well, you can get pretty het up, when I'm unhappy with you and don't pay you all the attention, which you feel you deserve!"

Gaius chuckled, "Watch it, Merlin, you're skating on thin ice!"

"Merlin! Allow me to repeat myself... Do you _really_ think that the crown prince cares who is happy with him?"

"I guess not...but it makes my life easier if you're happy with me!" Noticing the look on Arthur's face, he continued, "But then again, I'm a person of _really_ no importance, right, Arthur?"

'Not to me you aren't,' thought Arthur but he said. "You certainly are. Isn't he Gaius?"

"Stop teasing him, Arthur! He is a person of great importance to you. He looks after you; he helps you do all those things which you have become accustomed, to being done by someone else. You're so dependant on him that should he be missing, you'd be at a loss as to how to manage. Tell the truth, Arthur, a royal manservant holds a very important place in the king or the prince's life. They are privy to everything which goes on in the royal chambers and must be trustworthy and reliable." If Gaius had been watching, he would have seen Merlin drop his head as he blushed.

Arthur came back with, "Alright, so if there are two cots in the room, the prince gets one and his manservant takes the other and all the knights sleep on the floor! Is that what you want, Merlin?"

Merlin just glanced at Gaius as he was now completely out of his depth and he didn't understand if Arthur was being serious or facetious. However, it didn't sound right to him that he would get a cot over the likes of Leon and Rupert...He decided that Arthur was once again teasing him.

"So now that we have settled royal accommodation in a country inn, do you have any queries regarding sleeping rough with a prince?" As the words left his mouth, Arthur could have bitten his tongue but Merlin was miles away, so feeling Gaius's eyes on him, he looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. Gaius gave him a warning shake of his head.

Gaius knew that the two of them would have to arrive at an agreement but he could see today that Arthur was more intense than usual and Merlin seemed to be a little out of his depth. He now felt that he had been right when he had first seen them together this afternoon. Arthur was baiting Merlin but in a friendly protective way so he decided to let them work it out for themselves. Merlin was no fool so Gaius knew that he could take care of himself or at least he hoped he could without reverting to magic and hurling Arthur across the room into the mantelpiece, should he lay a hand on him.

Merlin wasn't paying attention as he was thinking. He'd slept rough before, actually on his way to Camelot, yet he figured it would be more fun in a group. They could have a big fire and he could watch out for Arthur. He hoped it would be dry as he didn't relish sleeping on soggy ground in a soaking bedroll. He came to, as Arthur mentioning that they had to get going. So, he said that he'd see Gaius later in the evening and happily followed his 'lord and master' out the door.

They made there way up to the king's chambers as Arthur had been invited to lunch with his father. "Merlin, you can come to serve me if you wish."

Merlin almost panicked, he shook his head and got all flustered, "Can't Richard manage? I'm a little nervous today and think it is better that I don't get too close to the king."

Arthur smiled. He had no intention of ever referring to anything which had happened in his chamber this morning but he realised that Merlin still felt a little uncomfortable. He smiled at him saying kindly, "Don't worry, Richard is quite capable and he will have Charles the king's squire to help him if needed. Go and have lunch with Gaius and meet me in my chambers, mid afternoon."

Merlin scampered off pleased to have some one on one time with Gaius instead of the king.

* * *

><p>When Arthur returned to his chambers, Merlin was nowhere to be found. He had checked the chambers. He knew he must have been around as there were piles of clothes laid out on the cot in the servant's quarters but no Merlin. He sighed in frustration, after two hours listening to his father's pontificating during lunch he was ready for a more relaxed atmosphere and his chambers minus Merlin were not as relaxing as they might be.<p>

There was a rustling at the door and Arthur opened it and Merlin almost fell in. His arms in front of him piled with clean clothes, sheets and towels and just his chin stopping the pile from cascading to the floor. He pulled up short in front of Arthur and grinned, "Arthur, you almost caused an avalanche of clean laundry, I hadn't expected anyone to open the door." He turned and went into the antechamber and began to sort laundry and put it away.

He called over his shoulder, "How was lunch with the king? Where sprouts on the menu just to annoy you?"

Arthur laughed, "No, but the king didn't half go on. I'm sure this patrol will prove that there is no anti-Camelot activity in the area but the king feels otherwise and as a result the outing is still on. If the weather doesn't hold we're going to be spending a very uncomfortable couple of days."

"It'll be alright. I'll take extra clothes for you. What do you want me to pack?"

"...just extra stockings and a warm tunic. I hate riding with bulky saddle bags and we will also be carrying bedrolls."

"Shame there are no bedrolls that are water resistant as woollen blankets just absorb the rain and then take days to dry."

"Ah, but I have a solution, if you take a deerskin and lie it hide side down on a bed made of fir boughs and then put you bedroll down on it. You will stay above the wet ground and be, not only comparatively dry but cozy and warm. Mind you, someone has to collect all the pine boughs and..."

"...I know...and I bet it isn't going to be the Mighty One!"

"What did you just call me?"

"It was said with all reverence that I could muster, as I was considering the work entailed with making a thick bed of branches for you and then out of exhaustion flopping myself down on the wet ground and shivering all night."

"Don't worry, Merlin if it is really bad, we could find a cave. That is if you are not put off by having to share with bats, bears, wolves and huge hairy spiders."

The saddle bags were packed and the royal bedroll assembled. Merlin was looking forward to the outing and hopefully, it would stay dry. Arthur couldn't believe the disrepair of the thin blanket which Merlin intended to put in his own bedroll and told him to choose one of his. He chose a cornflower coloured one which made Arthur smile but he said nothing.

"Arthur, have you ever been chased by one?"

"One what?"

"A spider?"

"Merlin, spiders don't chase people, they're not that bright. It's just that you and the spider happened to be in the same place at the same time."

"I was chased by a spider!"

"You were not. Merlin, don't be silly, why would any self-respecting spider want to chase you, of all people?"

"Well, it did!"

Arthur knew that this conversation would keep going, so to reach the conclusion quickly and change to another topic he said, "When, Where, How, What, Why and be quick!"

"When, a week ago; where, under your bed; how, scurrying towards me in a threatening manner; what, a big hairy black one with two yellow stripes; why, I think I was in its territory. It wasn't happy, I can assure you!"

"So, then what did you do?"

"I back-paddled as fast as I could and stood up but then it took an interest in my feet."

"O.K., that's enough!"

"Then, I killed it!"

"Good, that was the end of it then."

Don't you want to know how?"

"Maybe not..."

"With your smalls!"

"Merlin, you killed a spider with my underclothes?"

Well, I just dropped them over it and stood on it."

"That's disgusting. I hope you sent them to the wash."

"No, Arthur, they were clean and there was only a little splotch of icky green stuff on them, so I just folded them and returned them to your drawer."

Arthur was suddenly conscious of his smalls against his skin and felt sure that somewhere there was a little green splotch of spider guts touching him in a very special region. He screamed, "Merlin. I'll have your head for this. I really will!"

Merlin danced out of harm's way and said, "Gaius said that in some places, spider guts were used for medicinal purposes so it can't hurt you. Oops...! Arthur, maybe that wasn't spider extract but spider plant extract. But not to worry, if any part of you turns green, just let Gaius know as he's good with things like that!"

There was a roar from the crown prince who began to unlace his trousers to remove the offending underclothes.

Merlin laughed, "Arthur, I was kidding. Not about the spider, but I didn't use your smalls to kill it...just your pillow!" Merlin took off and ran into the corridor being chased by a member of the royal family threatening all sorts of dire reprisals, while hanging onto his trousers which were beginning to slip over his hips.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15 : KNOWING AND WAITING**

Later that afternoon, Arthur and Merlin went back to the mews for an unannounced visit.

Arthur watched Merlin handling the falcon. He was completely at ease, he held its jesses and once it had settled on his hand, with the index finger of his other hand, he stroked its breast and he ruffled the feathers of its neck until he reached its throat. The bird leaned into his hand.

Arthur felt suddenly strange, he knew that his heart had become too large for his chest cavity, he was out of breath and suddenly overly warm...and then he knew... He was imaging that Merlin's finger was caressing his throat and he froze embarrassed at the very idea. Embarrassed and thrilled, thrilled and accepting, accepting and wanting, he wanted Merlin to touch him.

He shook his head and coughed, making the falcon on Merlin's hand turn its head to the source of the distraction.

"She's beautiful, isn't she? Are they all this accepting of being handled? ...Arthur, are you alright? You look flushed. Do you feel alright?

"Yes, I...I don't know. I just felt a little strange."

Merlin leant over, pushing back Arthur's hair, he touched the back of his hand against Arthur's forehead. This was not the touch of a dresser. Arthur could hardly get his breath; Merlin's skin against his.

"You feel a little warm but it is probably nothing. And you, my Love..."

Arthur's head flew up, 'Was Merlin talking to him?' But no, he was again talking to the falcon, 'Would he ever say that to him?'

He needed to get away from being with Merlin in these close quarters, he needed air.

"I have to go, let me put her back on her perch. We can visit them again another day."

Their hands touched as Arthur took the jesses and attached her to the leash on her perch. He dropped his head as he wondered if Merlin had noticed the power in the touch. He seemed oblivious to anything save the bird.

Arthur turned, opened the door and went out.

Merlin smiled to himself.

* * *

><p>Supper was early that evening as they had to meet the others around dawn to get to Elmsford and do a quick mounted reconnoitre and get back to the inn for the night before leaving the following morning to move out towards Adderlea on foot.<p>

Arthur had decided ahead of time that Merlin and Gawaine would be in his group. That way he could keep on eye on the knight. Sir James would have Sir Rook and Sir Jonathan with him. The last members of the party, two grooms would keep an eye on their horses while they were out on foot patrols.

As it should be an easy patrol with no great distances and no dangers, Arthur had decided to ride his young bay Mulgan. Gidun and Mulgan got on well together and if there was any trouble, Mulgan would settle if Gidun was beside him.

Their ride to Elmsford was easy. The company was good. The knights rode ahead as Merlin and the grooms brought up the rear. They found a place halfway down into a valley and had lunch. Gawaine commented on the surrounding caves and said, "Sleeping out at night in a cave, could hardly be called roughing it."

Arthur laughed and said, "Sleeping anywhere but on a proper bed as far as I am concerned, is roughing it."

Merlin chirped in, "Well then, I guess I roughed it all of my life until I arrived in Camelot." The knights laughed and Gawaine winked at him.

Early in the afternoon, they could see the smoke from the village of Elmsford. The picked up the pace and arrived in no time. Merlin followed the groom wanting to make sure that the stables were secure. The hostler was thrilled to see knights as they always paid handsomely. The grooms stabled their horses and went into the inn for an ale, awaiting the return of the knights and the prince's manservant. Gawaine looked after them enviously.

The landlord assured them that his wife would prepare supper for their return and they set out on a quick mounted surveillance of the area beyond Elmsford towards Adderlea. They split into their designated groups and each took off in the opposite direction. Arthur and Gawaine rode ahead talking of knightly endeavours and this year's upcoming group of senior squires.

Merlin didn't really follow the conversation as he was more interested in watching how Gidun would lay an ear back to listen to him if he talked to him and keep the other forward to follow the sounds ahead. He realised that at one point Gidun's ears were both back but he wasn't talking and looked around and found there was a rider bearing down on them. He yelled a warning to Arthur, "Messenger!" as the man galloped by, obviously a messenger as he had a leather satchel. He waved and left them in a cloud of dust.

Merlin said, "If I couldn't work with you or Gaius, Arthur. I'd like to be a messenger. Gidun and I could ride all over, sleeping rough and carrying exciting messages for the king."

"Which you would never know anything about as a messenger doesn't get to read them. Anyway, Merlin you'd get lost, remember how hard it was for you when you first arrived in Camelot, even finding the library and the bathtub was a real challenge."

"Well, that was Daniel's fault he should have shown me and then Humphrey only told me half of it." Merlin blushed remembering the first bath but he was used to it now and he and Arthur just chatted through the whole procedure.

Gawaine listening to the two of them, smiled and shook his head.

They could see Adderlea in the distance and dismounted, staying quiet, seeing if they could pick up any unusual noises. Nothing... They turned their horses and made their way back, Gidun wanted to walk next to Mulgan and Gawaine waved Merlin ahead and followed behind them quite happily.

In no time, they were back at the inn and their grooms took their horses but Arthur insisted that Merlin made sure that Mulgan was stabled next to Gidun for company.

Returning to the inn, he found them seated around a large table drinking. Gawaine called Merlin over to have a drink with them. Arthur nodded and Merlin made his way and sat between Gawaine and James, opposite Arthur. He knew better than to drink more than a quarter pint as he knew that sitting facing Arthur and the way he felt about him might prove disastrous as with a little ale in his veins, he usually became very chatty.

"Come on drink up Merlin, we're on patrol, you have no duties except to lay out Arthur's bedroll, right Arthur?" Merlin suddenly felt that he was being set up for something so he just smiled and said nothing.

Arthur laughed, gave them all a knowing glance. He slapped the speaker, Rook on his back, causing him to cough. "Let me decide what duties I want my manservant to perform, thank you very much Sir Knight." They all laughed.

Merlin's legs were stretched out under the table and he suddenly realised that Arthur sitting opposite him had done the same as their legs touched. Merlin felt the impact even though technically it would be classified as a brush. He didn't need to hazard a guess as to the owner of the legs as Arthur looked devastated and the legs moved immediately.

Merlin thought, 'I think there might have been a lot of truth in what Gaius said.'

The landlord announced, "Sir Knights, if you are ready to eat, your meal will be served in the far end of the room."

They stood up taking with them any goblets, not yet drained and they all moved. Merlin held back allowing the knights to choose their seats on the benches along the table. He was after all a manservant and he knew for a fact that Daniel or Humphrey would have been eating with the grooms but he had always tagged along with the knights as that was what Arthur had always insisted. There was only one place left and that was between Arthur and Jonathan so James motioned to Merlin to take it. As he climbed over the bench, Jonathan steadied him with his hand, and he slid into his place, conscious of Arthur's thigh and knee and very careful not to touch him.

Merlin seldom touched Arthur beyond his job as dresser. As such he could lace, buckle and clasp various closures. He could take on and off all type of clothing but it was always in an impersonal manner. Hands might touch occasionally but his first real touching had been yesterday in the mews when he had purposely touched the back of his hand to Arthur's forehead. He'd grown used to the dresser part but felt that the other type of touching if it ever happened might be quite pleasant.

The meal was great and soon their early morning departure crept up on all of them except Gawaine and James. They remained at the table drinking but the others turned in.

Putting his hand on Merlin's shoulder to steady himself as he pulled his leg over the bench, Arthur stood up. Once he was no longer in his seat, Merlin pulled in his legs and swivelled them onto floor on the other side of the bench and got up.

The rooms were dormitory style, Merlin went to assist Arthur with his cloak and boots but Arthur assured him that he was capable and as they were on patrol, those services which Merlin usually provided were not necessary. Merlin placed Arthur's bedrolls on one of the cots, opening and straightening it. Then, he went over to the corner and threw his on the floor. The knights all settled down on cots adjacent to Arthur.

Gawaine when he returned told, Merlin to get up off the floor and use one of the empty cots; he did so but kept as far away from the others as possible. It was sometimes difficult for him to know his place when other people were present.

The following morning, he was up first and took his bedroll down to put it with his saddle. He'd get Arthur's later. He washed at the pump and had checked on the horses by the time Arthur was downstairs. It felt funny not having supervised his dressing and seeing that he had hot water for washing. He checked him over and realised that he had put all his clothes on in the right order. He was so tempted to reach over and realign the chain between his cloak clasps but he didn't. When they were in his chambers, Merlin felt that Arthur and his clothes were his responsibility and would fix without asking, anything which didn't conform to how he knew, he would want it...but not now and not here. There was something about being a dresser which although impersonal when they were alone felt strange and very personal when there were with others.

A hearty breakfast was served and then Merlin went to get Arthur's bedroll and tried to wake up Gawaine who was still dead to the world. He reached over to a pitcher of water and put his hand in, intending to flick water at Gawaine's face to make him at least open his eyes and prove that he was still in the land of the living. He had no sooner raised his hand to flick open his fingers than a hand closed around his wrist. He laughed and that was how Arthur found them when he opened the door to see if Gawaine was at least out of bed.

Arthur was furious. He pushed Gawaine's hand away, turning on Merlin, "Go and help Frank get the horses ready."

Merlin explained that he had come for Arthur's bedroll and as Gawaine was not yet up had tried to waken him and in the end tried flicking water at him and he had grabbed his wrist.

"Merlin, I really don't give a shit what you thought you were doing. Get out of here." Merlin left.

He hated being on Arthur's wrong side as besides making it difficult to work with him, he now realised it hurt having him cross with him. As he told Gidun as he saddled him, "Honestly, I don't know where I stand!"

By the time they were all mounted, everything seemed to have returned to normal between the subdued Gawaine and Arthur. Gawaine remained very quiet and when Rook commented upon it, Gawaine laid his finger across his mouth for silence, miming that he had a headache from last night. Everyone save, Arthur and Merlin laughed.

They rode out together for two hours, then halted and handed their horses over to the grooms who would take them back to the inn until tomorrow. The arrangement was that mid-morning the following day, the grooms would be waiting for them here and they would mount up and make their way directly back to Camelot.

They watched as their horses went off with the grooms and then split up wishing each other a safe patrol and walked off in different directions.

Merlin was bored out of his skull. He hated bushwhacking and now wished he'd asked to have gone back with the grooms. It was beginning to get overcast and every single branch within a hand's-breadth of his face managed to slap him. He tripped over roots and slipped down slopes.

Arthur was getting slightly annoyed at the continual litany of 'ouches and ows'. He turned to yell at him but remembered that they were patrolling and that announcing their presence would after all be counterproductive.

He watched as Merlin leapt across a ditch and landing on his knees glanced up at him smiling in embarrassment. If he had been a true friend, he would have been down that bank to give him a hand. He knew he was his friend but he felt uncomfortable showing Merlin any special attention in front of Gawaine. Anyway, Gawaine had beaten him to it.

They plodded on and finally the landscape began to rise and they were able to get a good view of the village ahead and saw nothing out of the ordinary. They decided to break for lunch. Merlin who was carrying a back pack with food sank to the ground, and from a sitting position was trying to get the bag and his bedroll off his back. Gawaine went to help him, glancing at Arthur first but Arthur made no move to stop him and finally Merlin was minus his burden. It was good to be at rest and the food was welcome. Arthur and Gawaine discussed their position and the time and agreed that maybe after another couple of hours they would call it quits and find a campsite.

Merlin ears pricked up finally a chance to experience camping. They packed up what was left and Merlin shouldered the bag again and Arthur picked up his bedroll and handed it to him. It was every man for himself and Merlin smiled at himself thinking, 'I didn't realise that he was so self sufficient. There were maybe a few lessons which Arthur could learn when he got home.'

After no more than one hour, Arthur decided that as the patrol seemed a bust that it was a shame to waste the time wandering around and he decided that they would hunt instead. Merlin could have cried, guess who would have to carry any game they caught, certainly not Gawaine as a knight or Arthur as a prince. He felt cheated as he had signed up, so to speak, for a patrol not a hunt.

They were still on high land when it started to rain and thankfully from Merlin's point of view, game was scarce. He told Arthur, "Surely, any animal with a brain has holed up somewhere dry."

Arthur gave him a dirty look while Gawaine who was behind Arthur turned and nodded his agreement with Merlin's opinion.

"Merlin, tell me. What experience have you had with hunting and actually killing something?" Arthur knew he shouldn't have asked but he did.

Merlin replied, "Well, Arthur I'll have you know that once we had a mouse in our cottage in Ealdor. That was before we got the cat. Anyway, I decided to hunt it down and I did and I was able to show my Mam the dead mouse."

"How did you kill it?"

Merlin blushed and said something under his breath. Arthur said, "Sorry Merlin, I missed that, how did you kill it? Speak up Gawaine and I want to know."

Merlin looked straight at Arthur and grinned, "I accidentally stepped on it."

As the sound of ensuing laughter filled the hillside and woods, Arthur knew that any chance of finding prey was hopeless.

It was really raining. Merlin looked like a drowned rat and felt like one as well. Arthur's hair was plastered to his head and Gawaine's fell on his shoulders like girlie locks. Merlin smiled, he liked rain and he held his face up, letting the raindrops splatter against his skin.

He heard Arthur say, "Merlin, look where you are going!" and he felt himself falling, he relaxed and let himself go and rolled down a bank landing with a thump on his bottom. The others scrambled down after him. He was alright, he might be a little bruised but he still had use of all his limbs and felt fine. He couldn't get up because of the weight of his pack and his bedroll.

Arthur looked at him worried for a second and then realising it was the angle at which he had landed which was hampering his getting up. Arthur the Knight in Shining Armour, bent over giving him his hand, hauled him to his feet saying, "Ups A Daisy!"

Merlin regained his feet and said, "Thanks!" Then smiling said, "...but Arthur, did you just call me a flower?"

Embarrassed, Arthur said, "That's what Gaius used to say when I was little and I fell down and he was helping me up!"

Merlin continued smiling but wouldn't tell Arthur what was so amusing. Unbeknownst to Arthur, he had chosen a saying containing the name of the flower often associated with innocence.

**FINIS**

**This story continues in Raining Cats and Lovers**

The heavens opened up. They sheltered under a large oak tree but soon the leaves were unable to hold all the raindrops and the hunters were getting wet. In the distance, they saw a rock face, maybe there were caves in which to shelter. They moved from tree to tree but upon arrival found very few crevasses large enough to keep them dry...

**Welcomed With love is the the second story in the series. It is followed by 'Raining Cats and Lovers', 'Be On Your Guard, Love', and 'Think of No One Else'. **

**To be followed by For Loving and Saying So, which will be up in March 2012.**


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